The original Ferris wheel made its debut in 1893 at the Columbian Exposition (Chicago World’s Fair). Filled with amazing facts, the reader will be surprised at the true, real-life story of the construction, and the ultimate fate, of the Ferris Wheel.
The director of the 1893 World’s Fair, Daniel Burnham, issued a challenge for something to be built for the 1893 Columbian Exposition (Chicago World’s Fair) which would rival the Eiffel Tower. George W.G. Ferris, Jr. came through with the idea that became the iconic image of the fair, the Ferris wheel.
The original Ferris wheel was an engineering marvel and everyone loved it. But after the fair, people were already looking for the next new thing, and the first Ferris wheel ultimately had a very sad ending.
This eBook contains the story of the construction of the Ferris wheel with colorful storyboard illustrations, lots of Fun Facts and figures, activities, historic photos, and newspaper clippings. The biography of the designer, George W. G. Ferris, Jr. is told in another story. His story has just as many ups and downs as the story of the design which made him famous.
RELATED: The biography of Ferris is here.
RELATED: The zipper made its debut at the 1893 World’s Fair, too. You will find that story here.
Here’s a short two-minute video that will give you a look inside The Story of the Ferris Wheel.
Like all History Heights eBooks, The Story of the Ferris Wheel works on all PDF-compatible devices. It can be used as a complete open-and-go unit study. The recommended minimum reading level is late elementary/middle grades, but this story is great fun as a read-aloud book for all ages. Great fun for life-long learners, too!