BY DAVID WELTON
Whidbey Life Magazine Contributor
October 14, 2015

Captain George Morse, a New England seaman and early settler of Oak Harbor, recognized that spanning the turbulent waters of Deception Pass was critical to the future of Whidbey Island. As early as the 1880s, he saw the potential for a bridge and, as a newly elected state representative, in 1907 he proposed building the two spans and anchoring them on tiny Pass Island between Canoe Pass and Deception Pass.

After decades of disagreements, it took just a year to build the two bridges.  (photo courtesy Washington State Department of Transportation)

Not everyone agreed with his vision, however. Many private transportation companies ran small passenger and freight boats on Puget Sound and nearby waterways and rivers; they were known as the “mosquito fleet.” Berte Olsen, who owned a ferry service at the north end of Whidbey Island, saw the double-span link across the watery passes as the road to ruin and lobbied successfully against construction.

Ready for the trusses (photo courtesy Washington State Department of Transportation)

Finally, funds were allocated and the two-span bridge was built in the mid-1930s by the Puget Construction Company of Seattle for $482,000. Young men from the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC), sent by the Public Works Administration during the Great Depression, carved out the approach to the two-lane structure and expanded facilities at the adjacent park. Island residents celebrated the opening of the bridge on July 31, 1935.

Almost ready to span Canoe Pass (photo courtesy Washington State Department of Transportation)

The American Legion Band—with tubas, cornets, trombones and drums—led the parade across the bridge while playing patriotic tunes and Sousa marches prior to speeches by regional dignitaries. Easy access to Whidbey Island soon led to a growth spurt in Oak Harbor and the establishment of the Navy Base.

The parade crosses over the newly-completed Deception Pass Bridge

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Denman Moody was only three years old in 1935, but he recalls crossing the new bridge during trips to Whidbey Island from the family home in Sedro Wooley. He has played the double B-flat base tuba since seventh grade and marched in Air Force Bands from 1953 to 1955.

Denman Moody, tuba player and marching band member of the 50th Anniversary Bridge celebration

He and his tuba linked to the past when they participated in the 50^th anniversary memorial of the bridge opening with the Whidbey Island Community Band in 1985, and he still plays with the WT Preston Jazz band in Anacortes.

“This silly horn has taken me and my wife to places I never would have gone to otherwise,” he said. “I’ve met many people.”

Moody presently volunteers with the Whidbey Island Historical Society where he shares “a fountain of misinformation” with visitors. His first choice for a personalized license plate, “OOMPAH,” was taken so his truck now sports “BBFLAT.”

Incidentally, his brother-in-law learned his trade in the CCC and had a career operating heavy equipment in the construction industry.

David Welton is a retired physician and staff photographer for Whidbey Life magazine. Current photos by David Welton.

“Then, and Now” is an occasional series of historical Whidbey Island photographs paired with contemporary images by David Welton. If you have a story to share, contact info@whidbeylifemagazine.org. 

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