1 In October of 1892, there was an official ceremony that was held to dedicate the World's Columbian Exposition in Chicago, Illinois. This major event was named in honor of Christopher Columbus, 400 years after his discovery of America. There were musical dancers that were called the "Columbian March." The Pledge of Allegiance was written earlier in 1892 by Francis J. Bellamy, so it was also recited on that grand day. Everyone expected about 70,000 people to show up for the dedication, but guess what? Almost double that amount showed up to the great event!
2 There was a lot of anticipation and excitement building up to the first day of the fair. On May 1, 1893, that day finally came. People were rushing to buy their tickets at 50 cents for adults and 25 cents for children. That may seem like very little money now, but back then, it was a little expensive for them. The attendance was not quite what they had hoped at first, but it increased during the five months it was there.
3 There were great attractions for the people to enjoy. At the time, the fair held the world's tallest building—Manufactures and Liberal Arts Building, which stood almost 20 stories high. Did you know that this building had over seven million feet of lumber just for the floor? Of course, the most loved attraction was the grand Ferris Wheel—the first of its kind. This Ferris Wheel was funded by George W. Ferris and some of his friends. Many visitors rode this ride that would take them high in the air so they could look out over the city. By the time the fair was gone, over 1.5 million people rode the Ferris Wheel. Where did this big wheel go after the fair? It was taken down and sent to the St. Louis Expedition. There, it was put together again for the people to enjoy. Two years later, it was removed forever.
