Back in the 1880's, most of the downtown in the fledgling city of Seattle burned to the ground. The mayor at the time was a 30-year old man who had arrived ten years earlier almost dead broke. He saved up enough to start a ship repair business, and was finally able to pay the fares for his brothers to join him from back east.

His history gets a little more interesting after that, and his legacy is one of the highlights of any cruise to the San Juan Islands.

Check it out in the current issue of Pacific Nor'West Boating

http://www.http://digital.turn-page.com/i/203700/09