The southern Florida homes of Thomas Edison and Henry Ford provide beautiful gardens, but also an insight into the characters of the great inventors.
Photos of Thomas Edison and Henry Ford
It’s the photos that do it. The black and white shots of the ‘vagabonds’ romping through the backcountry without a care in the world. They’re like big kids let loose for a few days. They’re not exactly roughing it, though – an army would be proud of the supplies.
The self-styled vagabonds in question aren’t exactly short of cash – they could easily be lapping it up in lavish resorts if they so wished. But it strikes that Thomas Edison, Henry Ford and Harvey Firestone get more out of the sense of adventure and normality than they do from pampering.
The winter estates in Fort Myers, Florida
The inventor, the car manufacturer and the tyre magnate were three of the world’s biggest names in the early 20th century. Edison and Ford, in particular, had both extraordinary wealth and extraordinary pulling power. The occasional guests they’d bring along on their adventures included presidents Warren Harding and Calvin Coolidge – and nothing untoward was thought of this.
The little gang took expeditions in various parts of the US, but the favoured destination was Fort Myers in southern Florida. Both Edison and Ford had winter estates here – now turned into a museum where the photographs are on display.
How Edison and Ford came to Fort Myers
The pair first met at an Edison company convention in 1896. At the time, Ford was the chief engineer for the Detroit Edison Illuminating Company, but they later became both equals and friends. They also collaborated together – Edison providing the battery and starting system for the Model T Ford.
Edison was the first to come to Fort Myers – purchasing the land in 1886 and building his property the next year. He invited the Ford family down in 1914 to go camping in the Everglades. They had such a good time that Ford built a bungalow there opposite Edison’s two years later.
Edison’s laboratory in Fort Myers
Over the years, the houses were expanded into something much grander, although the appeal was still largely the proximity to the Everglades. Edison went as far as to set up a laboratory there, so he could work on potential inventions while escaping the harsh northern winter.
The main concentration was on something that Edison really isn’t associated with though – botany. In conjunction with Firestone, he was determined to find a rubber tree that could grow cheaply and efficiently in the states. Over 17,000 samples were tested until one that could potentially work was stumbled upon. But the project was passed on to the US Department of Agriculture when he died.
The fascination with plants also extends to the gardens, which are arguably the most notable part of the twin estates. The pair of industrialists moved down to an absolute backwater, and turned it into a take on utopia that involved very little whirring machinery.
Fort Myers and the Everglades
Fort Myers has expanded significantly since, but its striking how quickly it gives way to the wilds that drew Edison and Ford to this part of Florida in the first place. The town disappears in the rear view mirror, and the gloopy, green wilderness of the Everglades completely take over. Out there, amongst the alligators and herons, today’s great inventors may well be setting up camp.
Edison and Ford Winter Estates tickets
Tickets for the self-guided tours around the Edison and Ford Winter Estates cost $25.
Other things to do in Fort Myers include sunset tiki cruises, paddleboarding with dolphins and manatees or parasailing.
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