After working on ships for a number of years, Robert, Sherman, and Frank Moran established Moran Bros. Marine and Sawmill Machinery Co. in 1882. The company became Moran Bros. Co. (ship and engine builders) in 1890. In 1898, the firm built -- in the record time of only four months -- a fleet of 12 steamers and 10 barges, and delivered them on the Yukon River to carry food to the miners. The firm also built many large steel and wood vessels, including the U.S. battleship NEBRASKA. Robert Moran served as mayor of Seattle from 1888 to 1890, overseeing both the response to the Great Fire and the development of the Cedar River water system.
This collection documents the work of the Moran Brothers Company between 1893 and 1906. A large proportion of the collection is photographs, including images of vessels, ship components, machines, construction processes, facilities, and workers. Non-photographic materials include clippings, brochures, and correspondence. Much of the material relates to the NEBRASKA, including photographs, clippings, correspondence, and invitations and programs from the launch.
View selections from the collection in
The collection is open to the public by appointment.
The Museum of History & Industry is the owner of the materials in the Sophie Frye Bass Library and makes available reproductions for research, publication, and other uses. Written permission must be obtained from MOHAI before any reproduction use. The museum does not necessarily hold copyright to all of the materials in the collections. In some cases, permission for use may require seeking additional authorization from the copyright owners.
Moran Brothers Company Collection, Museum of History & Industry, Seattle
Found in collection. Apparently an artificial collection assembled from various donations by Moran family members. Many of the photographs and photo albums are from a 1972 donation by Betty Burns, Robert Moran's granddaughter.
The
Photographs of vessels, machinery, workers, and facilities, some in scrapbooks. Item-level photograph inventory available at repository.
Identified vessels, including steamers, tugs, schooners, and the battleship USS NEBRASKA. Box also includes copy negatives and photograph inventory.
Identified and unidentified vessels, as well as ship construction. Includes USS NEBRASKA (also invitation to launching), SS WILLAMETTE, and other steamers, torpedo boats, and tugs, as well as the wreck of the SS UMATILLA.
Unidentified vessels, facilities (exterior and interior shots), and machines and parts. Includes dry docks, shop buildings, and some shots of workers.
Machines and parts, people (including striking workers), vessels, and facilities. Also includes album containing images of the USS NEBRASKA along with people and facilities, and a set of commemorative photos of the construction of the NEBRASKA.
Scrapbook with images of Yukon River steamboat building, loose photos from scrapbook, copy prints and negatives from Moran albums, and photo of NEBRASKA main propelling engines.
Correspondence, articles, clippings, and ephemera. Also includes visitors' register logging visitors to the company from 1896-1902.