The Ferris Wheel

By Jay Turner

Th e original Ferris wheel at the 1893 World’s Columbian

Exposition in Chicago. Public domain image sourced via Wikipedia.

It had been four years since the Exposition Universelle in Paris, France, where the world had been introduced to the centerpiece of the fair – a tower built by Gustave Eiff el. Th is tower, the tallest structure on the globe at the time, had instantaneously become a world wonder. Th e 1893 World's Fair in Chicago was America’s chance to shine, but how could they compete with the exquisite exhibits on the ground, let alone the grand Eiff el Tower from Paris?

Th e United States needed its own Eiff el Tower, something that would stun, amaze, and would be talked about for years. Th e proposals ran from the ridiculous to the impossible. One such proposal was a tower made from stacked logs that would measure 2,000 feet with a replica of Abraham Lincoln’s boyhood home at the top. Another absurd proposal called for a structure to be built so tall that visitors would ride an elevator to the top in Chicago and take a slide down allowing them to arrive in San Francisco or New York. An American civil engineer, George Washington Gale Ferris, Jr., stepped forward with plans that would “out-Eiff el Eiff el” and fi t the planners’ criteria for something “original, daring, and unique.”

Ferris had come to Chicago in 1891 with the news of the World’s Columbian Exposition to be held there in 1893. His proposed design for the exposition was a wheel that would rotate, allowing visitors to view the entire exhibition. Th e idea of a rotating wheel ride wasn’t unique. Concepts had existed since the 1600s, a rotating wheel was created for the 1854 New York State Fair, and in 1892 three 50-foot wooden wheels were installed in amusement parks in New York and New Jersey. Yet Ferris’ design called for a wheel of a size and design that was so unique that when proposed it was deemed unsafe. When Ferris returned a few weeks later with respectable endorsements from established engineers and local investors who were willing to cover the $400,000 construction costs, the plans were approved.

When construction was done on Ferris’ wheel, the structure had a height of 264 feet, the tallest attraction at the World’s Columbian Exposition. While it was shorter than Eiff el’s Tower (1,063 feet), his structure didn’t move. Th e wheel had 36 passenger cars, each car had 40 revolving chairs and could hold 60 individuals, giving the attraction a total capacity of 2,160 people at any given time. On June 9, 1893, the wheel

(1892-93) So-Called Dollar Medal HK-170 Columbian Expo Ferris Wheel Dollar, PCGS MS62. Courtesy of PCGS TrueView.

was given its fi rst test run and when it started bolts and debris fell from the sky, but it worked.

Th e wonder of Ferris’ wheel was the design. Like a bicycle wheel, the towering structure doesn’t seem to have the support to keep itself up but with the spokes and design it works. Th e question was would people ride the wheel? It was terrifying at the time. It was an entirely new human experience, looking down from above, the movement from space up and out, down, and around again, no one had ever felt those things before. Some people tried to escape when they realized just how tall 264 feet really was, but most were just thrilled. Each day some 38,000 passengers paid 50 cents to take the 20-minute ride of two revolutions with nine stops. Th e newspapers, even some in France, called the Ferris wheel the marvel of the age, some saying it was even better than the Eiff el Tower.

Th e World’s Columbian Exposition off ered countless souvenirs and collectibles for visitors. Th e Ferris wheel was a popular highlight of the World’s Fair and, after having the experience of seeing and riding the attraction, it was something people wanted a keepsake of. Several medals were made featuring the Ferris wheel at the Columbian Exposition, including four medals that would be later cataloged as SoCalled Dollars. HK-170 features the Ferris wheel on the reverse with the inscription “GR EATEST MECHANICAL ACHIEVEMENT OF THE AGE” and “HEIGHT 264 FEET WEIGHT 4300 TONS CAPACITY 2160 PERSONS ENGINES 2000 HORSE POWER.” Th is design is combined with an obverse featuring the Administration building. (1893) So-Called Dollar Medal HK-171 Columbian Expo

Ferris Wheel. Image Courtesy of Stack’s Bowers Galleries.

HK-171 features the Ferris wheel on the obverse in prominence, again with the notes of height, weight, and capacity but with the added inscription “ONE OF THE WONDERS OF THE WORLD.” Th e reverse of HK-171 features fi ve other exposition buildings, a die that is reused on other medals. HK-172 features the same reverse Ferris