Seattle shipbuilder donated 2,700 acres to create Washington’s Moran State Park

When former Seattle mayor and shipbuilding businessman Robert Moran was told by doctors in 1905 that he had only a few months to live because of a failing heart, he decided to spend his remaining time building a peaceful home on Orcas Island in the Pacific Northwest. That diagnosis turned out to be wrong. Moran lived for another 38 years and left behind one of the largest gifts of private land in Washington State.Rise of a Seattle titanMoran arrived in Seattle in 1875 at age 18, with almost nothing. He worked his way up from ship engineer to master mechanic. He later joined his brothers to create Moran Brothers Company, a marine repair business that grew quickly as shipping expanded across the region. His role in Seattle's public life also grew.