The 1893 World’s Fair was a very historic and formative leap for the United States and our beloved city Chicago, giving us the world’s stage to show off technology, culture, and more. One of the biggest features from the fair was not even open on the first day of the months long event, it was the miraculous for it’s time, Ferris Wheel. The fair’s lead organizer Daniel Burnham and his team were held to the pressure of designing an event that would match or exceed what Paris had achieved with their World’s Fair in 1889, which gave visitor’s the majestic Eiffel Tower. Our Fair would match that with beauty of the ‘White City’ along the Midway Plaisance with it’s destination exhibits, but the biggest draw was the world’s first Ferris Wheel.
Yeah, it may seem dated when we jet-speed roller coasters at Six Flags Greet America, but for it’s time it was romantic adventure to see the city from that angle before the age of the skyscraper. This wonderfully crafted video from the must-follow Youtube channel Defunctland looks into how the Wheel came to be in the challenging circumstances of the 1893 ‘Columbian Exposition’ and how it showed off America’s quest for amusement.
Now if Defunctland is going to start covering amusement park things gone by, can we get deep dive into Melrose Park’s KIddie Land? Chicago Tribune’s Rick Kogan in July wrote a love letter to local amusement parks of the past, it’s a great read.
Speaking of enjoying things in the past, Sundays 10a-12pm 101WKQX gives you ALT_Backspace, two hours of classic alternative music from the 80’s, 90’s,and 00’s. One person who is very excited about is this old man from the 1990’s.
