Mr. Ferris and His Wheel

The Eiffel Tower in Paris had been the star of the 1889 World’s Fair, but now it is America’s turn to shine with the 1893 World’s Fair to be held in Chicago. The men running the fair wanted to top what had been seen in Paris. They spread the word they wanted some spectacular structure for the centerpiece of the fair. They decided to run a contest, but no one seemed to come up with anything that was significantly original to satisfy the fair judges. George Washington Gale Ferris Jr., a young mechanical engineer, had already designed huge bridges, tunnels, and roads. Now he dreamed of building something that would truly represent the ingenuity that was typically American. He and his partner, William Gronau, designed a wheel that would tower above the fair and take cars full of people above it all. It took months for the judges to give him the go-ahead, but could it really be done?

Kathryn Gibbs Davis has written a well-researched and engaging story of the invention of the Ferris wheel. Gilbert Fords illustrations have an old-time quality and perfectly complete this book. Children will be fascinated by this fine book.