The Ferris wheel has become a symbol of fun and excitement for most of us. It's commonly seen in adventure parks and expositions.
But did you know that the first-ever Ferris wheel was built as an amusement during the summertime?
According to the Guinness World Record, the first "Ferris" wheel was constructed for the World's Columbian Exposition in 1893 in Chicago, Illinois at a total cost of $385,000. It was designed by an American engineer named George Washington Gale Ferris Jr., who specialized in the construction of bridges and tunnels.
As it came to be known, the Ferris wheel reached a maximum height of 80 meters above the ground and had a diameter of 76 meters and a circumference of 240 meters. The unloaded weight of the Ferris wheel was approximately 1,300 tons, and each of the wheel's 36 fully enclosed gondolas could accommodate up to 40 passengers in revolving chairs.
The Story Behind the First Ferris Wheel
The invention of the first-ever Ferris wheel came from the vision of an architect named Daniel Burnham in 1890. Burnham was inspired by how tall the structure of the Eiffel Tower was and how nothing like that stood on American soil yet.
Burnham was toiling away in the shadow of a famous landmark built the previous year in Paris. This structure was made of elegant wrought iron and rose one thousand feet into the air.
In an event, the man was tasked with transforming an enormous empty lot into a vacant space in which the World's Columbian Exposition would be held. To materialize his ideas into reality, he first hired a team of engineers to develop, craft, and build ambitious plans that surpassed the design of the Eiffel Tower.
However, Burnham criticized a group of engineers working on the project for their lack of imagination. According to him, these engineers are tasked with creating something "novel, original, daring, and unique."
Following that failed attempt, Burnham was able to find another engineer, a 33-year-old engineer from Pittsburgh named George Washington Gale Ferris Jr. Then Ferris, whose company was charged with inspecting the steel used by the fair, was struck by an idea and quickly sketched a large revolving steel wheel.
After adding specifics, he discussed the concept with Burnham, who objected to the thin rods that would carry people to a height greater than the Statue of Liberty, which had only recently been completed. He remarked that it was "too fragile."
Ferris was once more fueled to think big, as the massive crowds anticipated at the fair also inspired him to place large bets.
He invested his own money into safety studies to the tune of $25,000, hired additional engineers, and sought out investors. On December 16, 1892, his wheel was selected to respond to Eiffel's invention. It had a diameter of 250 feet and could transport 36 cars, each of which could hold 60 passengers.
The First Ever Ferris Wheel Ride
With the collective hard work of the people involved, the Ferris wheel became successfully operational. According to the Smithsonian Magazine, the ride on the first-ever Ferris wheel was worth 50 cents. In a span of 19 weeks, more than 1.4 million people paid a quarter for a ride that lasted twenty minutes and provided access to an aerial panorama that very few people had seen before.
When it was first built, people described good words with experience, citing that it gives an incredible sensation. Unfortunately, the remains of the first Ferris wheel are no longer around.
On November 22, 1896, George Ferris died at the age of 37 of typhoid fever. Ferris was also declared bankrupt and faced numerous cases of debt he owed to suppliers.
In 1904, the first-ever Ferris wheel was purchased by the Louisiana Purchase Exposition in St. Louis. Two years later, on May 11, 1906, the Ferris wheel was demolished.
