Wheels have many uses, and a few useless jobs. One of the less important tasks is to take you up in the air. Patrick Meehan, an engineering student, published an article in 1964 about the first ferris wheel, and I linked to it at the end of the paragraph. Chicago began preparing for the 400th anniversary celebration of Columbus’ discovery of the New World in 1890. They wanted a tall structure for the event that would rival the Eiffel Tower in Paris.
George Ferris drew his model during a dinner, and the first Ferris Wheel was constructed from that sketch. He was known as the man “with wheels in his head.” The structure, completed in 1893, took 20 minutes to complete its first revolution without the cars. Eventually, this engineering feat of the century, the ferris wheel had 21 cars. Each weighed 26,000 pounds and held up to 60 people. Three thousand of Edison’s newly invented light bulbs illuminated the famous wheel when it opened. After the Exposition closed, the Ferris Wheel quickly fell into disuse. It was moved twice, once in Chicago and once to St. Louis, before being blasted into bits. For more information on the original Ferris Wheel click here.
There was easily room for 4-6 people in the bright red car Randy and I rode. From our perch on high we looked down at the other two wheels we wanted to ride next. Randy wanted to go on the carousel, and I wanted the wave ride.
However, as he freaked out while looking down, his ticket blew out of the car, never to be seen again. We discussed who would get to ride the ride of their choice the rest of the way down. It was his birthday, but he wanted me to ride. As we exited the car, I asked the attendant what we could do about our lost ticket. She took us to the front of a huge line, and got a replacement picture, so we both had the rides of our choice.
She was a big wheel at the Navy Pier Ferris Wheel Ride! 🙂
For more fun wheel pictures click on Cee’s icon.
This was the perfect year to release this film as we observe 50 years after the “I Have a Dream Speech,” and after the Children’s’ Marches in Birmingham. As you might expect I got caught up in the story as it unveiled life behind the scenes of each President from Eisenhower through Reagan. The larger historic setting played out through the children of the fictitious butler, Cecil Gaines. The oldest son was first a disciple of Martin Luther King, Jr., then switched to being a Black Panther after King’s death. The second child, also male, died in Viet Nam. Gaines’ wife, Gloria, struggled with the problems of any non-working wife of a busy man, being left alone and figuring out how to take care of life’s situations by herself. In the movie she fell prey to alcoholism and a brief affair.
