Edison & Ford Winter Estates
Fort Myers, Florida: Nestled between the bank of the Caloosahatchee River and the tree lined McGregor Boulevard lies the winter retreat of two of the country’s leading men who helped shaped America by creating some of the modern conveniences we use on a daily basis. The Edison and Ford Winter Estates is a collection of buildings that were once the vacation homes of Thomas Edison and Henry Ford. It is here where the two friends took a break from the hectic world. Thomas Edison first visited Florida in 1885 to escape the cold weather from his native New Jersey. He purchased a tract of land along a cattle trail that ran into Punta Rassa. The 13 acre property along the river contained a cracker house that was a hold-over for the cattle ranchers are the moved the herd down the path. Edison purchased the property from $2750 and his Florida retreat was becoming a reality. Edison’s first major project on the property was to build his homestead in which he called the Seminole Lodge. The Semino...