St. Louis Urban Legends: The Fate of the 1904 World's Fair Ferris Wheel Axle

One of St. Louis’ greatest urban legends is the fate of the 1904 World’s Fair Ferris Wheel Axle. There is a staunch belief among many St. Louisans that the axle is buried somewhere in Forest Park. The Ferris Wheel was one of the main attractions at the 1904 World’s Fair. This technological marvel stood over 264 feet tall. There were thirty-six cars that could carry sixty passengers each. Cars could be rented out for dinner parties. One car even had a piano installed to accommodate weddings. A trip around this massive Ferris Wheel took about fifteen minutes.

The 1904 World’s Fair was also the first to have electric lighting. With all the fair’s grandeur being electrically illuminated at night. A trip to the top of the Ferris Wheel had to be a sight to see. It must have been breathtaking to gaze down upon the brightly lit fountains, buildings, and walkways. The Ferris Wheel was easily the centerpiece of the 1904 World’s Fair.

Surprisingly, the Ferris Wheel was not original to St. Louis. This massive ride first debuted at the 1893 Chicago World’s Fair. After the 1893 fair, the Ferris Wheel was dismantled and put into storage. It was transported to St. Louis in 1903 to be an attraction at the 1904 World’s Fair. During which the Ferris Wheel would carry over three million passengers.

After the 1904 World’s Fair, the original plan was to dismantle the Ferris Wheel and transport it to Coney Island. Unfortunately, shipping costs were too high. Since there were no other takers for the massive structure. The Ferris Wheel was demolished, and its smaller pieces were sold to local scrap dealers. But why did nobody want the axle?

At the time, the seventy-ton axle was the largest single piece of forged steel ever produced in the United States. There probably wasn’t anyone in St. Louis with the logistical capabilities to move such an item. Also, the transportation costs to move such a massive item most likely made it financially unfeasible.

The size of the Ferris Wheel axle and the difficulty in moving it are what I believe led to the urban legend. This legend is so deeply rooted in St. Louis’ oral history that, 121 years later, St. Louisans still claim it’s buried somewhere in Forest Park. In all practicality, burying such a massive and unwieldy item was probably the easiest and most cost-effective option of disposal. In the early 1940s, an elderly man who worked on the Ferris Wheel’s demolition came forward. He claimed he knew where the axle was buried. Crews dug in that area and, unfortunately, found nothing.

Another rumor was that the Ferris Wheel’s axle was sold ten years later to scrappers from Chicago. My only problem with this possibility is the cost. Why did it suddenly become financially feasible ten years later to transport the axle to Chicago? Also, where was the axle stored before it was finally sold off? There is no record of these facts.

What do I think? It was probably easier and more cost-effective to dispose of the Ferris Wheel’s axle by burying it somewhere in Forest Park. Also, consider the elderly man’s age, the time that had passed before he spoke up, and all the changes that had been made to Forest Park in the interim. He might have simply been confused about the axle’s exact location.