POULSBO — 1950.

North Korean Communist forces invaded South Korea. Communist Chinese forces invaded Tibet. President Harry Truman ordered the development of the hydrogen bomb.

The unemployment rate was 5.9 percent. It cost 3 cents to mail a letter. The Yankees beat the Phillies in four games in the World Series. Saturday morning children’s TV programming began, and the first TV pay-per-view service, became available. Charles Schulz introduced the Peanuts comic strip. The first nonstop transatlantic jet flight was made in 10 hours and 1 minute. The first successful kidney transplant was performed at Loyola University.

And a steel truss cantilever bridge was built across Agate Pass, connecting Bainbridge Island to the Kitsap Peninsula.

Jerry Reitan lived on Agate Pass at the time of the bridge’s construction, and will give a presentation, “Construction of the Agate Pass Bridge,” Sept. 9, 9:30 a.m., in the Poulsbo City Hall council chambers.

Refreshments will be served. A question-and-answer session will follow the program. The museum will be open for one hour following the program.

According to an article on Wikipedia, the bridge replaced a car ferry service which dated from the 1920s, providing a direct route along State Route 305 between Seattle, via the Seattle-Bainbridge Island ferry, and the Kitsap Peninsula.

According to Wikipedia:

“The Agate Pass Bridge is 1,229 feet (375 m) long and is 75 feet above the water and has a channel clearance of 300 feet between piers.

“The original construction cost of $1,351,363 was paid out of the motor vehicle fund, and operated as a toll bridge from October 7, 1950 until October 1, 1951, when costs were repaid by a bond issue passed by the Washington State Legislature. The Washington Toll Bridge Authority managed the bridge during the year it took to repay the bond.

“The Agate Pass Bridge is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.”