{Ferris Wheel Research - 1 of 3}

Pleasure Wheels in Bulgaria
The first wheels that people rode on started in Bulgaria in the 1600s. These "pleasure wheels," as they were called, began to move to the west. A man named Antonio Maguino brought the wheel to America from France in the spring of 1848. There were no real amusement parks at the time, only parks for recreation. To attract people to his park in Walton Spring, Georgia, Maguino built a wooden pleasure wheel. As riders sat in wooden packing crates, two strong men hand cranked the wheel by their own power. Soon, the ride became popular and a man named Charles W. P. Dare began to manufacture pleasure wheels. Most of his 20 to 35 foot models ranged in cost from $400 to $600. As time went on, the wheels were made out of metal, used steam power, and were made to hold 50 people. Most had a diameter of 50 feet.

America vs. the Eiffel Tower
The Ferris Wheel was born during the planning for the Chicago Fair, a part of the Columbian Expedition in 1893. The Columbian Expedition was a large celebration to mark the 400 year anniversary of Christopher Columbus sailing to America. Fourteen years earlier, in 1879, Paris held an exposition, where the Eiffel Tower was built. Seeing the 984 foot structure and its popularity, America began a battle to tear away attention from Paris to them. It was at that time that plans for the first Ferris Wheel began.

George Washington Gale Who?
George Washington Gale Ferris was a bridge builder in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. A new material had just been introduced into the bridge building business. Seeing an opportunity for a new business with this steel, Ferris formed the G.W.G. Ferris & Co. This new company inspected shipwork and mills. All this experience with inspecting, testing, and erecting different steel structures would help Ferris to create his famous wheel in 1893.

Ferris, George Washington Gale

George W. Ferris to the Rescue!
When George Ferris proposed the building of a giant wheel for the Chicago Fair, some were thrilled, some were doubtful, and others didn't know what to think. Because of all the mixed reactions, the building of the wheel wasn't approved until December 16, 1892. Since the fair was supposed to open to the public on May 1, 1893, Ferris had a problem. He had to raise $355,000 and find, fashion, and assemble 2,100 tons of steel and other material in just under four and a half months. Could George Ferris face the challenge and accomplish his task in time?

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