Seattle Shipbuilder Robert Moran Defies Medical Predictions, Donates Land for Washington State Park
In 1905, Seattle shipbuilder and former mayor Robert Moran was diagnosed with a cardiac disease and given only months to live. In response, Moran sold his business interests for $3.5 million (equivalent to $126 million in 2025) and moved to Orcas Island. There, he acquired approximately 7,000 acres of forest, lakes, and saltwater shoreline. Defying medical predictions, Moran lived for another 38 years. Around 1910, he began efforts to donate a significant portion of his land to the State of Washington for a public park. This initiative faced bureaucratic hurdles, with the state initially lacking an agency to accept or manage such a donation. After several years of lobbying and legislative changes, nearly 2,700 acres of his land on Orcas Island were finally accepted by the state in 1921, establishing Moran State Park. Moran continued to be involved with the park, personally funding the construction of roads, trails, bridges, and other improvements. 
