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1893 World’s Columbian Exposition

The 1893 Chicago Ferris Wheel

The first Ferris wheel was built for the World's Columbian

Exposition in Chicago. The goal of the architects of the Chicago fair

was to best the remarkable Paris exhibition of 1889 with its 984 foot

tower designed by Eiffel. They first considered building a tower 500

feet higher but ultimately decided building something unique would

attract more interest. When George Ferris came up with his Ferris

wheel, the designers knew they would top the Paris exhibition.

However, the Eiffel Tower still stands and the Ferris wheel is long

gone. The wheel was dismantled during the summer of 1895. The

wheel was rebuilt at a new site but the public had lost interest and it

was closed.

Right: A cast four finger pull with the likeness of Christopher

Columbus with Bacchus.

A fellow from New York (later New Hampshire) received

a medal - it was none other than William Rockwell

Clough. Pictured at left are Clough's corkscrews

celebrating the fair with copy “1492 Hail Columbia 1892,

Chicago 1893”. They were marked Corkscrew Pats No.

337,309, 441,137 Clough and Maconnell New York. U.

S. Patent No. 337,309 was issued to William Crabb of

Newark, New Jersey, on March 2, 1886. Patent No.

441,137 was issued to Clough on November 25, 1890 for

his “Machine for Making Corkscrews.”

Clough & Maconnell exhibited in the Manufacturers and Liberal Arts Building in department H,

group 121. They were listed erroneously in the exposition directory as “Clough and McConnell”.