Built by George Ferris for the World’s Columbian Exposition in Chicago, the first Ferris wheel was an attempt to out-Eiffel Gustav Eiffel and his famed Paris tower.
It premiered to the world on on this date 130 years ago. When the fair ended, the wheel was dismantled and moved to Chicago’s North Side, where it operated from October 1895 through 1903.
It was then moved one last time and reassembled in St. Louis for the 1904 Louisiana Purchase Exhibition.
This post was contributed by Ross Malone. A historian and a retired school teacher, Ross has authored many books about Missouri’s history, weird facts, and folk tales. He has also written children’s historical fiction. Visit his website, and buy his books in the Missouri Life store.
Photo credit: Library of Congress
