Re: “A century of Mukilteo ferrying leads to a new terminal built on (and for) connections” [Aug. 11, Pacific NW Magazine]:
I enjoyed reading the article about the Mukilteo ferry. It is rich in information and inclusive in its citation of our history with our Indigenous predecessors here in the Northwest.
In 1916, when the ferry was launched, a dollar was equivalent to $27.18 today — more than twice as much as today’s $12.50 fare for a standard car and driver.
I am frequently perplexed when historians quote prices that seem incredibly cheap compared to today’s cost, without doing the math for their readers that accurately reflects reality. While we might all long for a $1 ferry ride on the Mukilteo ferry, I think we would be quite grateful to not have to pay $27.18 today.
Edith Walden, Anacortes