Edison and Ford Winter Homes, Ft. Meyers mid 1800s

Edison bought 13 acres of land and built 2 identical winter homes.  He was quite a botanist and planted many a variety of trees and orchids. He planted successfully banyan and rubber trees. He also experemented with discoveries that would help the US not to have to import rubber.  He discovered that golden rod, not just a noxious weed, but was able to produce rubber.  He had over 1000 patents and holds the record for the only person to register a patent per year.  Sooooooo not just the light bulb.  He had many electrical companies which was interesting for me as this tour showed us some early history of the General Electric where of course my Dad had worked for 43 years.
Ford worked for one of these electrical  companies and came to a conference in NY where  Edison was the main speaker.  Even though Ford was 16 years younger, they became friends.  Ford bought a winter property right beside Edison.

Edison was also friends with Firestone.  Edison lived into his 80s.  A true inventor.  As a thank you to this area, he planted Royal Palm trees from Cuba along the streets of Ft. Meyers and that is how Ft. Meyers became known as the Palm City.

He had a keen interest in music and movies and a lot of his inventions begin around that interest.

Did you know he was totally deaf in one ear and almost completely deaf in the other.  It has been questioned why he would not have invented something to help the deaf.  He is quoted as saying he did not see being deaf as a problem.  It allowed him to focus on his thoughts and invent!  He could shut out the world!