The Ferris Wheel was first seen at the Columbian Exposition held in Chicago in 1893, the “World’s Fair,” and was the greatest attraction of all the amusements then offered.
No doubt larger ones have since been built, but this first one, rotating between two pyramids, was a framework of steel, 250 feet in diameter, and carried 36 cars, each capable of holding 40 passengers.
It was designed by and named for George Washington Gale Ferris (1859-96), an engineer of Galesburg, Illinois.
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