The Ferris Wheel Owes Some Credit To Troy, New York

A few weeks ago, I finished reading Erik Larson's "The Devil in the White City". The novel follows the events that led up to, and the subsequent fallout of, the 1893 Chicago World's Fair.

One of the largest accomplishments of the fair, and of American invention, was G.W. Ferris' Ferris Wheel. what many don't know, however, is that the wheel owes at least some credit to Troy, New York.

Who Was G.W. Ferris?

George Washington Gale Ferris Jr. is not a New York native, but he knew the area well. He was born in Pittsburg, Pennsylvania in 1859, but at the age of five, was relocated to Nevada with his family.

From there, he attended the Oakland California Military Academy from 1875 to 1876. After his short time in California, he crossed the country, coast-to-coast once again, and found himself in New York's Capital Region.

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Time at RPI

In New York, Ferris studied at the prestigious Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, studying Civil Engineering. During his time at RPI, Ferris was a member of the Rensselaer Society of Engineers, as well as a charter member of the Chi Phi fraternity.

He graduated RPI in 1881 at 22 years old, and began to use his degree for something astronomical. The Chicago Fair wanted to create something that would surpass the Eiffel Tower, and it was Ferris' design that eventually won. The Ferris Wheel would be a hit, and become a staple of fairgrounds and city skylines everywhere. Without his education in Troy, or his time in the Capital Region at large, it's doubtful Ferris would have developed such an achievement.