Walt And Chicago… Did You Know??

September 15, 2012
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Hello my friends!!

It’s the middle of September, school is back in session, so I figured I would share with you another fun connection between Walt Disney & Chicago ( & me!)

Walt’s father, Elias Disney, worked as a carpenter for the 1893 World’s Columbian Exposition in Chicago!

The 1893 World’s Columbian Exposition was held in Chicago to celebrate the 400th anniversary of Christopher Columbus’ arrival in 1492.  The Fair covered over 600 acres, housed over 200 buildings, and showcased people, cultures, and inventions from around the world! The Exposition ran for six months and more than 27 million people attended

 

Image courtesy of Wickipedia

 

One of the only remaining buildings from the Expo was the Palace of Fine Arts, which later was re-built and re-named as the Museum of Science and Industry Chicago! I worked at MSI for 7 years and learned more of the history of the Expo and loved sharing facts with our guests! I remember when I learned one night (working an event) that Elias Disney had been a construction worker of the buildings of the Expo, and that gave me goosebumps! Then to also find out that Walt Disney himself once visited the Museum of Science and Industry, http://www.wdwfanzone.com/2012/04/walt-chicago-did-you-know/ , just made my head spin!

Walt’s father lived in Chicago, worked on the Expo that I grew to love learning about, then years later, Walt himself visited my old job, which would lead to the design of Disneyland, and later Walt Disney World, both of which I would visit and fall in love with!

It still is surreal to me the connection I have to someone who is one of my heros and inspirations!

 

 

Hope you enjoyed today’s history lesson!! Check back soon for more!!

Follow Jamie as she dreams of her next Disney trips at www.mydreamingcorner.blogspot.com and on Twitter @jrobbins79

 

 

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This entry was posted on September 15, 2012 at 8:00 AM and is filed under Columns, Community, Disney, Education, History, Imagination, Lifestyle, Views from the Zone. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed.

2 Responses to Walt And Chicago… Did You Know??

  1. Sammie_Kay on September 15, 2012 at 8:46 PM

    Thanks for sharing that Jamie,Always nice to read about Walt and his family.

    Reply
  2. Leah on September 20, 2012 at 11:29 AM

    Cool article, Jamie! My husband grew up in Chicago and loves the MSI! We’ve been there a couple times together. I didn’t know it was part of the Fair and that there was a Disney connection there! Thanks for sharing!

    Reply

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