Fort Myers in Lee County, Florida — The American South (South Atlantic)
Motor Generator
Motor Generator
The Hertner Electric Company
Cleveland, Ohio
Serial No. 2528
15 hp 220v 30 60 Hz
37A 1750 RPM
400 C Continuous Duty
Throughout the history of Seminole Lodge various equipment was used to supply or produce power. This motor generator and housing came to the property in 1928. A cable connected to the motor extended down to the riverbank to recharge Edison’s battery-powered boat; an electric launch named Reliance. It may have also lit the lights along the pier, as well as the lanterns hanging in the Summer House situated at the end of the pier. In 1928 all overhead electric wiring was placed underground. Henry Ford financed these improvements and other projects in the 1920s, in exchange for Edison’s donation of the 1886 Fort Myers laboratory to Ford’s Greenfield Village museum.
Edison’s invention and business life included extensive and successful work with integrated power systems. Edison placed an “isolated” power system on the south end of the 1886 laboratory as part of the original plan for the Fort Myers Estate. The local newspaper reported that some 350 townspeople came out to witness the new technology light up the site on March 27, 1887. Though Edison was interested in bringing electricity to the rest of Fort Myers, a number of reasons prevented the project. Years later in 1898, local resident A.A. Gardner franchised the first electric plant to the city.
The electrical lines extended beyond the Edison property by 1919. At that time Edison disassembled the original power system components and sent them to his New Jersey laboratory. Today one can view them at the Henry Ford Museum and Greenfield Village in Dearborn, Michigan.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Environment • Industry & Commerce. A significant historical year for this entry is 1928.
Location. 26° 38.067′ N, 81° 52.804′ W. Marker is in Fort Myers, Florida, in Lee County. Marker can be reached from McGregor Boulevard south of Larchmont Avenue, on the right when traveling south. The marker is inside the Edison & Ford Winter Estates. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 2350 McGregor Blvd, Fort Myers FL 33901, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. Edison Estate Restoration and Rebirth (here, next to this marker); Orchid Lane and Friendship Walk (here, next to this marker); Clara Ford’s Michigan Rose Garden (here, next to this marker); Edison’s “Florida Paradise” (here, next to this marker); Inside the Ford Home (here, next to this marker); Henry Ford (here, next to this marker); Henry Ford's Florida Estate (here, next to this marker); Edison Caretaker’s House (here, next to this marker). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Fort Myers.
Also see . . . Edison & Ford Winter Estates. (Submitted on November 6, 2015.)
Credits. This page was last revised on August 30, 2017. It was originally submitted on November 5, 2015, by Sandra Hughes Tidwell of Killen, Alabama, USA. This page has been viewed 338 times since then and 12 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4. submitted on November 5, 2015, by Sandra Hughes Tidwell of Killen, Alabama, USA. • Bernard Fisher was the editor who published this page.