A Seattle shipbuilder sold his company for $3.5 million in 1906 and built an Orcas Island estate

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. Moran was elected mayor in 1888 and served two terms, helping lead the city as it rebuilt after the Great Seattle Fire of 1889. The high point of his business career came in 1904, when his shipyard launched the USS Nebraska, the only battleship built in Washington state. According to historical records published by HistoryLink, the ship helped establish Moran as one of the leading shipbuilders in the Pacific Northwest. In 1906, after years ...