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Fathers of invention The winter homes of Thomas Edison and Henry Ford open windows on their lives
“Opportunity is missed by most people, because it is dressed in overalls and looks like work.” — Thomas A. Edison Photos by GREG OLSEN/Freelance
Above: Thomas Edison purchased his estate in 1885 and spent winters there until his death in 1931. He had a full laboratory onsite and was constantly working on new inventions. Below left: The phonograph may have been Edison’s greatest invention. Below right: A look at the family home of Thomas Edison. Edison and his family entertained many guests at their Florida home, including Charles Lindberg, Harvey Firestone, Henry Ford and J. Edgar Hoover.
“If you think you can do a thing or think you can’t do a thing, you’re right.” — Henry Ford
Above: The Ford Model T brought automotive travel to the masses.
Above: A look at Edison’s home office.
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he winter homes of Thomas Edison and Henry Ford have become popular tourist attractions in Southwest Florida. It is a warm afternoon and people are milling about in Mina Edison’s garden, wandering through Thomas Edison’s laboratory, visiting the onsite museum and touring the custom built homes at the Edison and Ford Winter Estate in Fort Myers, Fla. Thomas Edison and Henry Ford were two of DEBBIE the most creative inventors in history, but it’s doubtful OLSEN that either one of them ever imagined that their winter homes would one day become a tourist attraction. Thomas Edison built his winter home in southwest Florida in 1885. Edison wintered in Florida
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by the end of his life he had 1093 US patents in his name and operated several companies including the General Electric Co., a successful business that is still in operation today. Touring the Edison and Ford Winter Estates opens a window into the lives of two of the most fascinating men in history. With more than 20 acres of botanical gardens, it is also a wonderful outing for those interested in gardening and botany. Owned by two creative inventors, it is not surprising that the Edison and Ford estates were an ever-changing experimental botanical garden. There are more than 1700 plants on the estates including what is believed to be the largest banyan tree in the continental United States. Thomas Edison and Henry Ford changed the world through their inventions. Though they were more than 15 years apart in age, they were kindred spirits and dear friends. They were also celebrities in their time with an income substantial enough to allow them to be amongst America’s first snowbirds.
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for many years and his good friend, Henry Ford visited on many occasions. In 1916, Ford bought the house next door, so he could more easily vacation with Thomas Edison. Thomas Alva Edison was the 20th century’s most prolific inventor, so it’s little wonder that before his 40th birthday he was showing signs of burnout. At the age of 38, his doctor advised him to seek out a warmer climate during the winter months to help preserve his health. On Edison’s first visit to Florida in 1885, he purchased a large estate along the shores of the Caloosahatchee River on which to build his vacation home. The property has stunning views of the water, but the real attraction for Edison was the large stand of bamboo that was growing on the land. At the time, Edison was using carbonized bamboo as a filament for the electric light bulb and he needed a good supply. He may have been building a vacation property, but he had no intention of sitting back and taking it easy. When Edison designed his home, he also built an onsite laboratory to aid him in continuing his experimental research. During his winters in Florida, he continued to invent and experiment and
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