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Created
in 1889 for the World's Fair, the Eiffel Tower was intended to be
torn down at the closing of the fair. The iron structure, then the
world's tallest man-made object, was met with resistance from the
citizens of Paris and from fair organizers. It was considered so
unattractive that an organization was formed of high-society types
bent toward removal of the monstrosity. The group held their
meetings in the tower itself, claiming it was the only place in
Paris that you could not see it from.
Luckily, once the
world came to gawk at their magnificently tall tower, the
Parisians had a change of heart, and the tower was allowed
to remain standing and has since become the symbol of Paris and
France. As world symbols and icons go, the Eiffel Tower
not only symbolizes the city and country where it is located, but
it is also a symbol of French engineering (the very modest Gustave
Eiffel was responsible for the design) and the bold possible uses
of iron as a structural material.
In 1893, the
Americans sought to outdo the tower for the World's Columbian
Exposition held in Chicago (which was originally intended to open
in 1892 to celebrate 400 years after the arrival of Columbus, but
things got a tad behind schedule during the construction of the
fair, thus the 1893 date). The Expo hired engineer George Ferris
to build a response to the Eiffel Tower. Ferris, apparently as
modest as his French rival, created a "pleasure wheel"
so large and spectacular that it became the darling of the midway,
and since, replications of his Ferris Wheel have been created the
world over. Not to be outdone, the Eiffel Tower boast several
replicas of its own in locations like Paris, TX; Paris, TN; Kings
Island, OH; Kings Dominion, VA; Tokyo (as a radio antenna) and
Paris (casino) Las Vegas.
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