The Purple People Bridge is 150 years old. Here's a brief history of the landmark.

It's an anniversary celebration.

The Purple People Bridge turned 150 this year, and a series of events throughout the summer celebrated the historic milestone. The final event of the series is the Back Roads Wine Festival from 5-9 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 11. It's free and open to the public.

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“We hope everyone will come down to enjoy the cool breeze on the bridge, celebrate our 150th, and enjoy live music, food trucks, craft vendors and our region’s award-winning wineries,” said President of The Purple People Bridge Company, Will Weber.

The Back Roads Wine Festival will highlight wineries from both Kentucky and Ohio. Guests can take in beautiful views from the bridge while enjoying award-winning wines from local vineyards and wineries.

The event will also feature craft vendors, food trucks and live music by The Northern Kentucky Derby.

All proceeds from the event go to preserving and maintaining the Purple People Bridge.

According to the bridge's website, the Newport Southbank Bridge Company and the cities of Cincinnati and Newport have worked together to highlight its significance to our region.

So, what's the history and why is it so significant? Here's a look back.

History of the Purple People Bridge

It wasn't always a pedestrian bridge

The Newport Southbank Bridge opened April 1, 1872, seven years after the end of the Civil War. According to the Purple People Bridge website, it was the first railroad bridge that stretched across the Ohio River, connecting Cincinnati to Northern Kentucky.

The Little Miami Railroad, which had terminal facilities in Cincinnati, originally owned the bridge.

In 1904, it was renamed to the Louisville and Nashville Railroad Bridge, or L&N for short. During this time, the west portion of the bridge was repaired and repaved to accommodate automobiles.

In the 1940s, streetcar service over the bridge ceased. The outside cantilevered track was removed, and the center streetcar track became a pedestrian walkway.

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Then, in 1987, the bridge ended all railroad traffic, leading to a deterioration of the structure during the 1990s. The L&N Bridge was later acquired by CSX and renamed after the company.

In the latter half of the decade, developers announced plans to construct the Newport Aquarium and the Newport on the Levee entertainment complex. During this time, public interest rose to save the bridge.

Due to the community's efforts, the bridge was placed on the National Register of Historic Places on April 17, 2001, and was permanently closed to automobiles.

CSX eventually donated its portion of the bridge to the City of Newport. The city then transferred ownership to the Newport Southbank Bridge Co., which owns, operates and maintains the historic landmark. The City of Newport and Southbank Partners also received $4 million in state funds to paint and restore the 2,670-foot bridge.

Presently, it serves as a pedestrian bridge, tourist attraction and event venue between Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky.

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How did the bridge get its name and color?

Southbank Partners held focus groups while planning the restoration of the bridge. It showed computer-generated images of how the bridge would look in various colors to more than a dozen groups.

In every group, purple and green were among the top choices.

In a 2003 Enquirer article, Ted Bushelman, Southbank volunteer and longtime director of communications at the Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport, said purple is a good color for public use, such as a bridge.

Bushelman, a Boone County native, worked in television during the 1960s and wrote his master's thesis on "The Psychology of Color" during his time at Xavier University.

The group created a shade of purple for the bridge based on his and the focus group's input.

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Purple People Bridge Climb

The Purple People Bridge Climb of 2006 was inspired by other bridge climbs in Australia and New Zealand. Dennis L. Speigel, the managing member of the Purple People Bridge Climb, told The Enquirer it was the first of its kind in the Northern Hemisphere.

Although the Purple People Bridge Climb was only 140 feet above the Ohio River, compared to the 440-foot climb in Australia, it allowed participants to see breathtaking views of the Queen City from a unique vantage point.

Unfortunately, the attraction shut down in 2007 after a disappointing turnout the year before.

The Columbus Dispatch reported that organizers predicted 30,000 to 40,000 people would climb, according to a market study. Instead, approximately 10,000 people participated.

Although there has never been another bridge climb, the landmark remains open to the public.

This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: What to know about the Purple People Bridge's 150th anniversary