[1] Ferris was born on February 14, 1859, in Galesburg, Illinois, the town founded by his namesake, George Washington Gale.

[citation needed] Ferris House, his home at 1318 Arch Street, Central Northside, was added to the list of City of Pittsburgh Designated Historic Structures on June 28, 2001.

[citation needed] News of the World's Columbian Exposition to be held in 1893, in Chicago, Illinois, drew Ferris to the city.

[10] Ferris returned in a few weeks with several respectable endorsements from established engineers, and the committee agreed to allow construction to begin.

The Ferris Wheel had 36 cars, each fitted with 40 revolving chairs and able to accommodate up to 60 people, giving a total capacity of 2,160.

[12] After the fair closed, Ferris claimed that the exhibition management had robbed him and his investors of their portion of the nearly $750,000 profit that his wheel brought in.