Born near Sturgis, Michigan, Skirvin left for the Oklahoma Territory in 1889 as an original 89er. He and a business partner acquired, and then sold, property in the new territorial capital of Guthrie, then moved to Galveston, Texas to engage in the real estate business. Skirvin developed the town of Alta Loma, and was present in Galveston at the time of the 1900 Galveston hurricane. Skirvin also engaged in the oil business with considerable success.
