Chicago World's Fair

George W. Ferris

Inventor of the Ferris Wheel

Portrait_photo_of_George_Ferris.

George W. Ferris was born in 1859 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania (59) . He was a bridge-builder most of his life, but his career began in the railroad industry (60). He founded the G.W.G. Ferris & Co., which was a firm that tested and inspected the metals that railroads and bridge builders used (61). It was not until later in his life that he invented the Ferris Wheel. The Ferris Wheel was called an “engineering wonder” and it took a lot of time and effort to design the mechanics of it (62). Ferris died on November 15, 1928 (63).

Ferris was successful in creating something for the World's Fair that people marveled and stared at in wonder. Ferris's name will forever be remembered; after all, it is the name of the ride at most amusement parks and fairs around the globe.

Chicago Inventions

Chicago World’s Fair: Invention Exposition