Friendship Walk & Orchid Lane

Friendship Walk and Orchid Lane. . , The Friendship Walk and nearby Orchid Lane were created so that the Edisons and their friends could enjoy the outdoors on warm winter days, The Edison Friendship Walk began as an idea in 1928. During Dr. Hamilton Holt's visit to Fort Myers, he shared information with Thomas and Mina Edison about a plan to create a "Walk of Fame" at Rollins College in Winter Park, Florida. As college president, he wanted a way to honor notable historical figures at his campus. The plan consisted of a semi-circular. pathway containing a series of engraved stones highlighting famous writers, inventors, philosophers, scientists, artists, and more. Mina loved Holt's idea and decided to create her own as a tribute to family and friends. Mina received the first stone in 1930 from Dr. Holt, but many more were collected as gifts from friends, family, community members, and leaders. Some include the names of nationally renowned figures like the Firestones and Mercks, while others include influential people in and around Southwest Florida. Today, there are a total of 50 stones, although some have been removed for conservation over time., Orchid Lane developed as a natural path under the mango trees that formed a line down both the Edison and Ford properties along McGregor Boulevard. Orchids are epiphytes, which means they do not require soil to grow. They receive nutrients from the air, rainwater, and decomposing matter, such as leaves and dead insects that get caught in the roots. Orchids find the bark of mango trees to be perfect hosts on which to grow. The Edisons received orchids as gifts and also purchased them and placed them in the trees at their Fort Myers Estate. The warm and humid south Florida climate was perfectly suited for the plants, which produced flowers every season. The path along McGregor Boulevard eventually became known as Orchid Lane., (sidebar) , Today orchids like the Phalaenopsis, Dendrobium, and Cattleya can be seen throughout the gardens, as well as along Orchid Lane. The Estates is a Convention on International Trade and Endangered Species (CITES) designated organization by the U.S. Department of Interior, and receives plants from all over the world. , Below: Friendship Walk, circa 1940s and today., Did You Know? , You can learn more about the Friendship Walk stones in the Friends and Family exhibit in our museum., (captions) , Top: Orchid lane circa 1920. Bottom: Thomas Edison walks with Dr. Hamilton Holt during the Rollins College Founder's Day Celebration, 1930. , Mango trees line Orchid Lane, cirça 1920s