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On July 20 1861, U.S. Army Officer Major French wrote to U.S. Naval Officer McKean "I have information that a schooner, fitted out as a slaver is in the Caloosahatchee River. Her appointments I am told are full."
On . . . — — Map (db m218724) HM WM
The standard 3-door Touring model sold for $525 and was powered by a 20-horsepower 4-cylinder cast iron engine. It could reach a maximum speed of around 45 m.p.h. and had a ten-gallon gas tank that averaged 14-21 miles per gallon. Electric . . . — — Map (db m282493) HM
1929 Ford Model A
Introduced in December of 1927, the Model A became the successor to the Ford Model T. Although the "new" A was named after the original 1903 Model A, mechanical upgrades and a sleek body design made the newer model much . . . — — Map (db m282527) HM
Manatees are large, brownish-gray, seal-shaped marine mammals.
Adult manatees can grow up to 13 feet and weigh up to 3,000 pounds.
Female manatees are usually larger than males.
Skeleton not fat
A majority of a manatee’s body weight . . . — — Map (db m106678)
Army Post Ft. Myers was established 14 February 1850 with 116 men and officers. Winfield Scott Hancock, Q.M. Captain was assigned in 1856. During the last years of the Seminole War there were 835 personnel in residence. The fort was deactivated in . . . — — Map (db m315065) HM
Just like our lawns today, Thomas Edison's tropical gardens required a consistent supply of water to ensure they flourished. In addition to storing rainwater in large elevated wooden storage tanks, and later the cistern by the pool, Edison dug many . . . — — Map (db m281137) HM
In December 1863, the Army post of Fort Myers, inactive since 1858, was reoccupied. The fort served as a supply depot for the Federal blockade squadron. Troops from the fort often raided Confederate supply depots in the state's interior, since . . . — — Map (db m208747) HM
Edison, Ford, and Firestone formed the Edison Botanic Research Corporation in 1927 to find a fast-growing, natural source of rubber that could be grown in the United States. The banyan tree was one of more than 17,000 plant specimens that were . . . — — Map (db m281099) HM
Kayak clinics and guided trips available. Please check flyers available at the visitor center for more information or visit our website at www.leeparks.org
Be a real friend to our wildlife: Stay a stranger
Paddling provides you with very . . . — — Map (db m106693)
During World War II, nearly 50,000 soldiers earned their wings as aerial gunners at the Buckingham Army Air Field’s (BAAF) Flexible Gunnery School. As one of only six gunnery schools in the United States, BAAF was in operation from 1942 until the . . . — — Map (db m127515) HM
What are Butterflies
Butterflies and Moths are insects that belong to the order Lepidoptera. The Greek word for scale (lepid) and wing (ptera) is joined to mean scale-wing. Their body four wings, and six legs are almost entirely covered with . . . — — Map (db m106681) HM
In the 1890s, a deep freeze caused many Florida growers to move their orange crops to Fort Myers and other southern cities. Citrus packing plants were built at the end of long docks in the Caloosahatchee River. At first, oranges were shipped by . . . — — Map (db m281733) HM
Argh! Did you know that pirates (and sailors) brought citrus along on long sea voyages to prevent scurvy, a disease caused by a vitamin C deficiency? Laws were passed in the 18th century requiring some ships to carry orange juice aboard. . . . — — Map (db m281736) HM
Clara Bryant Ford had a passion for roses and grew over 350 varieties and 10,000 plants at the family’s estate, Fair Lane, in Dearborn, Michigan. Mrs. Ford’s favorites were tea roses in shades of yellow and white.
Did you know Clara Ford hired . . . — — Map (db m89877) HM
• This area of the property was mostly underwater when the Edison family lived here. More than a decade after Mina Edison deeded the estate to the City of Fort Myers, a significant amount of "fill land" was added to the landscape. Originally, a . . . — — Map (db m282358) HM
• Cycads first appeared about 280 million years ago. Most cycad species that relied on dinosaurs for pollination are extinct.
• Once covering most of the landmass of Earth, including present-day Antarctica, cycads occur in the tropical and . . . — — Map (db m285034) HM
In 1885 world-famous inventor Thomas Alva Edison (1847-1931) first visited Fort Myers. In 1886 he built his winter home, "Seminole Lodge." a second home for a friend/partner, and a laboratory. He brought his bride, Mina Miller Edison (1865-1947), to . . . — — Map (db m290352) HM
Built in 1928, this laboratory was designed with one purpose in mind: to find a natural source of rubber that could be grown in the United States. Divided into six sections, parts of the laboratory operated similarly to an assembly line, with . . . — — Map (db m282421) HM
Some of the Seminole Lodge Staff
Queenie Adams · J.F. Anderson · Mr. Bassler · Mr. & Mrs. Black · Ellen Carr · Michael & Tina Doyle · James Evans · Harvie Heitman · William Hibble · Henry Horsey · Noah Keen ·
George Kinze · Fred Ott · Sidney . . . — — Map (db m281350) HM
Edison created a large domestic support area for the Estate on the east side of McGregor Boulevard. Storage buildings, equipment, a truck garden, and even a horse were located there. On the west side, retaining and expanding the Caretaker’s House on . . . — — Map (db m90275) HM
Built in 1919, this reinforced concrete structure was designed to collect and store 40,000 gallons of rainwater for household use. It features 9-inch thick walls, a vaulted roof, and stepped parapet walls on the gable ends. The side walls are . . . — — Map (db m281344) HM
The Edison Estate riverside buildings were originally built in 1886 and remodeled slightly throughout the years.
The sprawling Edison Seminole Lodge is made up of the Family Home, connecting pergola and Guest House. The Edison Moonlight Garden . . . — — Map (db m281753) HM
Edison’s plan of a “Floridian bower in the lowlands of the peninsular Eden, with that charmed zone of beauty” was realized as he completed the Seminole Lodge Estate.
By the fall of 1885 designs were completed and materials for construction and . . . — — Map (db m281655) HM
Entry in Seminole Lodge Guest Book
—Harrie Monkhouse, Guest
March 21-April 3, 1916
Have you ever dreamed a dream of Heaven?
Where the Garden of Eden grows?
Well, come down with me to the Florida Coast
Where the Caloosahatchee . . . — — Map (db m281660) HM
Built at the same time as the Edison Main House, the Edison Guest House was originally the winter residence of Edison's good friend and business partner Ezra Gilliland. However, a falling out between the two men destroyed their friendship, and . . . — — Map (db m281663) HM
This garden area has been created to reflect the Edison original plan for the Estate landscape. It commemorates the legacy of Thomas and Mina Edison and other groups and individuals involved in the cultural landscape of the Edison & Ford Winter . . . — — Map (db m89866) HM
The 3900-square-foot home was built in 1886. It was constructed of clear spruce and shipped from Maine. After purchasing the adjoining home to use as guest quarters, in 1900, the house was renovated between 1908 and 1910. The kitchen was removed, . . . — — Map (db m281643) HM
Historic Edison Park School, a public elementary school, is one of the oldest in Southwest Florida. It has played a prominent role in the cultural as well as the educational life of this community.
Started in 1926 and opened on March 30, 1927, it . . . — — Map (db m101017) HM
The pier was originally called “the wharf.” It was used as a working area to off-load boats carrying materials and contents for the homes and laboratory, beginning in November 1885. After the Estate buildings were complete, the pier’s . . . — — Map (db m90285) HM
“Madeleine, Marie, Theodore and the two maids have gone bathing in the hotel pool—so everybody is happy," wrote Mina to family, April 7, 1909.
By the 1911 winter season the family and staff no longer had to travel downtown to the Royal Palm . . . — — Map (db m281548) HM
“Madeleine, Marie, Theodore and the two maids have gone bathing in the hotel pool—so everybody is happy," wrote Mina to family, April 7, 1909.
By the 1911 winter season the family and staff no longer had to travel downtown to the Royal Palm . . . — — Map (db m281549) HM
Both the Edison and Ford families enjoyed the natural beauty of Florida
The photographs they left behind tell a story of what they truly valued. The vast majority of the photos they snapped show their families enjoying the natural . . . — — Map (db m281757) HM
Edison’s Small Sampling Grew into a Mighty Banyan Hammock
Edison, Ford, and Firestone formed the Edison Botanic Research Corporation in 1927 to find a natural source of rubber that could be grown and harvested in the United States. . . . — — Map (db m281046) HM
Famous inventor and businessman Thomas Edison visited Forty Myers in early 1885. He planned to find a warm retreat to escape the cold winters of his home base in West Orange, New Jersey. Along with friends, he made his way to Fort Myers from the . . . — — Map (db m281743) HM
Thomas Edison befriended Ezra Gilliland when they were telegraph operators in Adrian, Michigan. Later, they became roommates and co-workers in Cincinnati, Ohio. Gilliland was known for his mechanical, technical, and sales expertise, helping Edison . . . — — Map (db m281752) HM
The Fort Myers laboratory that once stood here was constructed in 1886 for $16,000 and included a steam-powered dynamo generator.
In 1928 Henry Ford convinced Thomas Edison to give him the Fort Myers laboratory to add to his collection at . . . — — Map (db m282635) HM
In his initial plans for the property, Thomas Edison included a laboratory for his Florida estate. Though he anticipated leisure time, he also wanted a place to pursue inventing. The 1886 laboratory contained equipment for mechanical and chemical . . . — — Map (db m281629) HM
In his initial plans for the property, Edison included a laboratory for his Florida estate. Through he anticipated leisure time, he also needed a place to pursue inventing. Of the many experiments he worked on in this laboratory, one focused on a . . . — — Map (db m281553) HM
During the early 1900's, Florida "Snowbirds" were often interested in the exotic, local animals. Regulations governing the keeping of these animals as pets did not exist at that time and the Edisons were not immune to the tropical pet craze. . . . — — Map (db m281770) HM
When Edison created plans for his Florida retreat in 1885, water was a major concern to supplement the shallow well at the existing Caretaker’s House. This may have been dug for the Summerlin family before Edison purchased the property.
By . . . — — Map (db m281342) HM
Aftermarket Inventions
One good idea sparks another. Inventive minds soon found that the powerful and reliable Model T engine could be used for more than just transportation. Aftermarket kits like this Work-A-Ford extended the . . . — — Map (db m282723) HM
Seeking a Suitable Climate for Growing American Rubber
During the earliest decades of the 20th century, natural rubber was an important commodity used in a variety of products and industrial applications, especially in the U.S., where 71% . . . — — Map (db m281286) HM
Nature has been good to Lee County, one of the last frontiers to be settled in southwest Florida. Nestled between the Everglades and the Gulf of Mexico, the county includes a variety of interconnected ecosystems. Careful planning has preserved much . . . — — Map (db m105731) HM
In 1909, a major project was undertaken to install a fire control system at the Edison estate. Water for the system was supplied from a well on the east side of the property (across McGregor Boulevard) and directed to three large tanks located on . . . — — Map (db m90283) HM
Fort Myers, like many South Florida communities, developed during the last half of the 19th century. First Street (once called Front Street) became the heart of the new town, In 1866, Manuel A, Gonzalez and Joseph Vivas took up residence at the . . . — — Map (db m131368) HM
Why do manatees visit Manatee Park?
Biologists believe the historic winter range of the manatee was centered in southern Florida with small groups spending the winter at a few natural springs in northern Florida. The construction of power . . . — — Map (db m106672) HM
In this vicinity, Caloosa Indian villages were located in ancient times. Around this site, in the Seminole War of 1841-1842, a fort was established and named for Lieutenant John Harvie. The fort was re-established in 1850 and named Fort Myers, . . . — — Map (db m183545) HM
• Thomas and Mina both caught tarpon in the waters surrounding their Fort Myers estate, as did their son Charles. In a 1908 letter to Charles, Mina commented, "This morning I fished for tarpon and do you know I had 180 (pound) fish on my line and . . . — — Map (db m282392) HM
In Southwest Florida, it is often necessary to have storm water retention areas on developed properties. At Manatee Park, this water retention area was planted with wetland vegetation to provide wildlife habitat, improve aesthetics and help filter . . . — — Map (db m106677)
The Edison family created the Friendship Walk as a way to pay tribute to their friends and relatives. A total of 50 stones comprise the Walk, though some have been removed for conservation over time.
The stones given to the family include . . . — — Map (db m282290) HM
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 . . . — — Map (db m281640) HM
The Edison family grew a wide variety of citrus here in Fort Myers. The family described the varieties "golden oranges, deep colored mandarins, bright yellow lemons, shaddocks, red tangerine oranges, grapefruit" and many others.
They enjoyed . . . — — Map (db m281740) HM
The Great Blue Heron (Ardea hernias) is a wetland bird that lives in the Slough year round. It is quite adaptable and can live in habitats like marshes, streams and lakes. The heron’s range is from Florida to the coastline of Alaska. As a top . . . — — Map (db m106512)
Thomas Edison was one of the most famous people of his time, and he shared his Florida estate with other celebrities of the day.
The purchase of the Guest House in 1906 allowed the Edison family to entertain and house important guests while . . . — — Map (db m282696) HM
Did You Know?
On June 4, 1896 after more than two years of experimentation, 32 year old Henry Ford completed his first gasoline-powered motor car. He named it the Quadricycle because it ran on four bicycle tires. When Henry drove his . . . — — Map (db m282804) HM
In 1914, Thomas Edison invited Henry Ford, wife Clara, and son Edsel to the Edison Florida estate. In 1916, the Fords purchased their Fort Myers estate, The Mangoes. The Ford family visited regularly with good friends and neighbors, Thomas and Mina . . . — — Map (db m89883) HM
Welcome to The Henry Ford Citrus Grove!
The first orange trees in Florida were believed to have been planted in St. Augustine by Ponce De Leon in the 1500s. When Henry Ford purchased his Fort Myers estate in 1916, dozens of fruit trees, . . . — — Map (db m281702) HM
Top: Ford's Quadricycle
Circa 1896
In 1951, American Illustrator Norman Rockwell was commissioned by Henry Ford Il to illustrate a calendar to commemorate Ford Motor Company's upcoming 50th anniversary. In this scene from the . . . — — Map (db m285071) HM
Thomas Edison and Henry Ford first met in 1896 at a New York conference of the Edison Illuminating Companies. Ford worked as a mechanic at the Detroit Edison plant. The two were not reacquainted again until 1910, when Edison responded to Ford’s . . . — — Map (db m89885) HM
The Caloosahatchee River was the main highway for travel and commerce for many years after the settlement of Fort Myers. Even before Fort Harvie was established in 1841 (later renamed Fort Myers, in 1850) and the first permanent settlers (led by . . . — — Map (db m183546) HM
Built in 1911, Henry Ford's house displays characteristics of the American Bungalow architectural style. It features deep, covered porches and sturdy columns. Details include cypress ceiling beams, yellow pine moldings, and built-in benches. In the . . . — — Map (db m281778) HM
The Henry Ford Home was built in 1911 and is an example of the “American Bungalow” architectural style. From the exterior one sees the characteristics of cedar-shingle siding, wide covered porches, gabled metal roof, and dormers with decorative . . . — — Map (db m281773) HM
In the 1930's Mina Edison was noted by the News Press of Fort Myers for her outstanding collection of Japanese plants. Mina was inspired, as were many Americans, by the Japan Exhibit at the 1893 Expo of Chicago which she attended. The Japanese . . . — — Map (db m281541) HM
The tallest tree of the Amazon rainforest, the kapok can grow to more than 220 feet (67m) tall and more than 9 feet (2.7m) in diameter. The buttressed trunk adds additional width to help it stand upright in soft soil. The tree produces seed pods . . . — — Map (db m281299) HM
Henry Ford's Fort Myers estate was lushly landscaped. Original owner, Robert Smith noted that there were hundreds of fruit trees, including grapefruit, orange, tangerine, guava and of course, many mango trees, which gave the estate its name. . . . — — Map (db m281784) HM
The quest for rubber did not take place solely inside the laboratory. As Edison's project progressed, acres of research beds and a variety of structures filled the surrounding landscape.
A. Barn, 1903
This 50'x35' building featured two . . . — — Map (db m282419) HM
The Baldwin Locomotive Works of Philadelphia built #143 for the Atlantic Coast Line Railroad in 1905. #143 was used to switch freight cars in rail yards around Charleston, South Carolina. The Atlantic Coast Line Railroad was the first railroad to . . . — — Map (db m90843) HM
Though a manatee’s appearance is far from what you might see in your bathroom mirror, humans and manatee are more closely related than you might think.
Breathe Air
Manatees have lungs just like humans. When active, they surface every . . . — — Map (db m106679)
Manatee Island, in the Caloosahatchee River, is hereby donated to the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service to inspire a renewed interest in land dedicated to the formation of the Caloosahatchee National Wildlife Refuge, established July 1, 1920, by . . . — — Map (db m106680) HM
Manatee Mating
Female manatees reach sexual maturity at age 3 but will not breed successfully until 6 to 10 years of age. Males are sexually mature at age of two. Manatee mating herds are made up of sexually mature males and female. Within . . . — — Map (db m106685) HM
In 1916, Henry Ford purchased the property for $20,000 from Robert Smith, a financier from New York. A variety of fruit trees grew on the property, including mangoes, papayas, grapefruit, oranges, lemons, and coconut palms.
Classic Bungalow . . . — — Map (db m281966) HM
Mangroves are tropical trees that grow along the coastline in mixed salt and freshwater, or estuarine environments. They live in wet soil, are highly salt tolerant and flourish in areas periodically submerged by tides. Florida is home to three . . . — — Map (db m108027) HM
Thomas Alva Edison
February 11, 1847 - October 18, 1931
Thomas Edison revolutionized everything from electricity to entertainment; even the process of invention itself. Edison gathered experts from various fields to work together . . . — — Map (db m281128) HM
Mina Miller married Thomas Alva Edison in 1886. This was the same year that the two began to create their winter estate in Fort Myers.
During their many years in Fort Myers, the Edison enjoyed creating areas for botanical research and family . . . — — Map (db m281098) HM
Mina Miller Edison, born July 6, 1865, had the distinction of being the daughter, wife, and mother of inventors. Her father, Lewis Miller, invented agricultural equipment like the Buckeye Reaper and its success allowed an upper-class . . . — — Map (db m281094) HM
The Moonlight Garden was designed in 1928 by Ellen Biddle Shipman, one of the first female landscape architects in America. She specialized in enclosed gardens, full of drift beds where flowers of beauty bloomed in cycles throughout the year. . . . — — Map (db m281622) HM
Mina Edison decided to create a more traditional garden space after the original Fort Myers Laboratory was removed and sent to Dearborn, Michigan, in 1928. She asked preeminent landscape architect Ellen Biddle Shipman to design an enclosed garden . . . — — Map (db m281624) HM
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 . . . — — Map (db m281107) HM
When the "Wizard of Electricity" arrived in Fort Myers, the "bright lights of Broadway" were, literally and figuratively, very far away.
Edison used a variety of equipment to electrify his estate over the decades. Edison and Ezra Gilliland . . . — — Map (db m281116) HM
Mr. Edison loved his Bougainvillea planted next to his Electric Lab built the same time as his home in 1886. When the lab was disassembled in 1928 and displayed at Greenfield Village
in Deerfield Michigan. He wanted to save of the plant he called . . . — — Map (db m282393) HM
Manatees spend six to eight hours each day feeding. Manatees feed on more than 60 species of aquatic or semi-aquatic plants including sea grasses, mangrove leaves and water hyacinths. Manatee burn a great deal of energy to maintain their body . . . — — Map (db m108028) HM
1927-2017
Celebrating 90 years of Service to the
Fort Myers Community
Caloosahatchee Chapter
National Society Daughters of American Revolution
Mina Edison was an associate member of this
Chapter from 1927 to 1947
Arbor . . . — — Map (db m282327) HM
Side A
Miss Eugenia Washington, great grandniece of President George Washington, was one of 3 Founders of National Society Daughters of Founders and Patriots of America, June 7, 1898; Washington, D.C. in the year of the Spanish American . . . — — Map (db m183552) HM
This Garden is a living tribute to all
of America’s Veterans and their
families. In silence and respect, this is
a place to remember why millions of
Americans have fought and died for
our liberty and our freedom.
Here we renew our . . . — — Map (db m282309) WM
Orchid Lane developed as a natural path from the mango trees that formed a line down both the Edison and Ford properties. Orchids are air plants, or epiphytes, which do not require soil to grow. They receive nutrients from the air, rainwater and . . . — — Map (db m281632) HM
This wicker furniture was used by the Edison family and their guests during their stays at Seminole Lodge. Please help us preserve it by not touching.
(captions)
Above: Thomas and Mina Edison enjoy the porches of Seminole . . . — — Map (db m282682) HM
Manatees aren’t the only animals that visit Manatee Park. A wide range of native Florida wildlife can be seen at the park. Some are just passing through, while others are full-time residents. What other wildlife do you see?
Black vulture . . . — — Map (db m106676) HM
“If it is agreeable to the town, I will have royal palms planted on both sides of the road." -Thomas Edison, in a 1907 letter to city leaders
The City of Palms
With the above words, Edison began an effort to . . . — — Map (db m282822) HM
"My firm belief that the best possible working plan for any man in our civilization is to have one foot on the soil and the other in industry," said Henry Ford. This is true of Florida Citrus Growers today. The recreated Henry Ford Citrus Grove . . . — — Map (db m281741) HM
The story of people and plants provides a continuous thread from the Calusa to early Estero Island settlers, and to the present and future generations. With all the great advances in science and technology, people still rely on natural resources to . . . — — Map (db m90988) HM
This high and dry habitat provides food and shelter for many species of animals among the shaded canopy, fallen logs and rich decaying leaf litter.
Pine flatwoods depend on prescribed fire to keep the canopy relative open, the understory in check, . . . — — Map (db m106686) HM
It is hard to imagine now, but when the earliest settlers arrived on the Mound the surrounding habitat was very different. Native plants dominated the landscape. Years would pass before the Estero Island settlers could profit from agriculture . . . — — Map (db m90985) HM
The Municipal Pleasure Pier, built in 1927 just west of where the Caloosahatchee Bridge is today, was part of a $300,000 recreation center which included a swimming pool, horseshoes and a dance floor. By 1943, the pilings were rotted and when the . . . — — Map (db m183549) HM
The manatee’s closest living relative is the elephant. They have a number of features in common. Manatees have a flexible prehensile lip that functions in a similar way to the trunk of an elephant. It grabs vegetation and places it in the animal’s . . . — — Map (db m106684) HM
How do I know if I can keep a fish?
Florida has more anglers than any other state. To protect our fisheries the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) manage game fish using closed seasons, size limits and bag limits. Check . . . — — Map (db m106691) HM
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