Thomas A. Edison Home
Fort Myers, Florida
Tucked away in this resort area are nineteen acres on the Calooshatchee River where Thomas Edison and Henry Ford were neighbors and friends.  Back in 1885 Edison and a business partner visited Fort Myers and within 24 hours purchased the riverfront property and began construction of two identical homes. Two years after a visit to Fort Myers, Henry Ford purchased an adjacent estate in 1916. 

We all know many of Edison’s inventions, but I was amazed to learn he held over 1,000 patents, and  is the only person to date who filed a patent for sixty-five consecutive years.  He was still inventing when he died in his mid-80's in 1931.  Henry Ford worked on his automobiles at his estate until they went in to mass production in Dearborn.  Edison’s laboratory was moved to Michigan in 1925, but in 1927 another laboratory for rubber experiments is begun.

In addition to all this information and history, there is a huge botanical garden of rare and sometimes weird plants.  Edison used many of them in experiments, but mostly he was just interested in the variety.  The second largest Banyon tree in the world is on Edison’s estate–the first largest is in India and the third largest we saw several years ago on Maui.  It was an interesting and informative day in April 2000.

Entrance sign
Historical sign
Seminole Lodge Home
Bougainvillea
One of Edison's Exotic plants
Air plant orchids
Cute seeds
Laboratory
Interior office
Photo of Edison, Ford and Goodyear
Gorgeous purple blossoms
Reflecting pool
Garden pond
Coconut trees
Edison's Wharf
Birdhouse put out by Mina Edison to protect birds from cats
The pier
Porch on the lodge
Lodge
Porch surrounds entire lodge
Interior
Interior
Interior
Interior
More porch
Interior
Dining room
Kitchen
Famous Turkey Platter
Purple Plant again
Tree with shallow roots
Bougainvillea
Rubber 
Laboratory Entrance
Interior of rubber lab
Banyan Tree
World's
2nd largest
Banyan Tree
World's 
2nd largest
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