2023 November 4, "Walking with the Saints" a Saints Walking Tour of Historic Downtown Florence House of Worship

Today, hubby and I did a walking tour with a group at (10:00 AM) at the Florence Library led by Lee Freeman. 

We visited the former Popular Street Christian Church, now Wood Avenue Church of Christ (1970), which is across the street from the Florence Library. 

Wood Avenue Church of Christ 

Cavalry Fellowship Church

424 E Tombigbee St Florence, AL 

From the library, we walked to Tombigee St and Popular Streets. 

We stopped at the Cavalry Fellowship (former Popular Street Christian Church)

Our Redeemer Lutheran Church 630 N Poplar St
Florence, AL

From Cavalary Fellow Ship, we walked several blocks up Popular St to Our Redeemer Lutheran Church (1938)630 N. Popular St.

First Baptist Church 209 North Walnut St.

We walked back up several streets to Walnut St., The Baptist church, which is across the street from the Florence Library. 

We stopped at the Gothic Style First Baptist Church (1888), 209 North Walnut St.

First Presbyterian Church 224 E Mobile St

Next, we walked to East Mobile Street the First Presbyterian Church is across the street from the Florence US Post Office. 

We stopped at First Presbyterian Church (1818) 224 E Mobile St. The Oldest Christian Church is the “Mother Church” Florence’s oldest church. 

Tennessee Valley Community Church AME
119 N Pine St Florence, Al 

 

We walked down the one-way street of Mobile St to Tennessee Valley Community Church AME on Pine St. There is construction going on near this church, as you can see in the picture. 

Trinity Episcopal Church 410 N Pine St Florence, Al 

We walked up Pine St to Trinity Episcopal Church (1824), Florence’s third oldest Christian congregation church, which is a couple blocks from Tennessee Valley Community Church. This church faces Pine St and faces North Seminary St. We walked up a couple blocks to the United Methodist Church.

First United Methodist Church 415 N Seminary Florence, Al 

Our last stop was First United Methodist Church (1822) 415 N Seminary, the second oldest church in Florence. 

Wilson Park Fountain 

Wilson Park is near the United Methodist Church and across the street from the Florence Library. 

We stopped to take a few pictures of the fountain at Wilson. The wind was blowing the water from the fountain and wet us as we walked by.

There were a couple of children enjoying the sprinkles from the fountain.  

Also took pictures of the Florence Library and The Kennedy Douglas Art Center. 

We ate lunch at St Florian Pharmacy Soda Shop. We sat at the bar and watched as they took orders for dipped ice cream and made sandwiches. 

Hubby ordered a ham and cheese Sandwich with Cheetos and a Strawberry Milkshake. 

Reuben Sandwich with chips

I ordered a Reuben with Sun Chips, whole grain Harvest cheddar, and Diet Coke. 

After lunch, we headed for home, but there was a traffic jam on Highway 72, where there was a lot of construction going on. 

We took Middle Road to the Old Jackson Highway to US 43 home. 

 

I grew up on a little creek in Alabama

 I grew up on a little creek in Alabama.

Way out in the country, far from the town

Nothing but family & farmland around

Crickets & mourning doves make their sound

The best people I knew were called Maw & Paw

They owned this land & farmed it all

Paw had a pet goose & rooster named Clyde

Maw taught me not to cuss or ever tell a lie

When I think back, only happiness inside

We called them Maw and Paw.

Come inside and sit a spell y’all 

Make yourself a plate & some sweet iced tea

Turnip greens, pinto beans, Maw smiles at me 

If I could go back there just one last time 

I would eat from paws Muscadine vine 

Paw was a veteran who served in World War II

He was by far the smartest man I ever knew 

Now, Maw loved to needle crochet & sew 

I believe she could do it with her eyes closed 

A horse named Cricket and a catfish pond

Apple trees, watermelons, and far beyond 

How they did it all, I will never comprehend 

They fed family, animals, and friends 

We called them Maw and Paw

The best people I ever knew

Cold Banana banana pudding & warm chicken stew

If I could go back there just one last time

I would eat from paws red grapevine 

Blueberries, strawberries, beans & potatoes 

Cherry trees, peach trees, plums & tomatoes

Oh, if I could go back there just one more time

Written by my daughter about her grandparents

2019 Mar 16, 🚎Miracle Ride: Helen Keller in Living History Tuscumbia, Alabama

It was in the 40s this morning, cloudy and windy, so I grabbed my big coat and winter boots and joined a group of locals and out-of-towners. 

Everyone met at Coldwater Books and began boarding the trolley at 9:30AM 

The trolley was taking a group on a “Miracle Ride: Helen Keller in Living History 

Our guide told a fantastic story of Helen Keller and her great-niece, Keller Johnson Thompson.

On the steps of Ivy Green, Mrs. Thompson told amazing stories of her great-aunt as we waited for a large group to finish their tour.

We toured the home and the many collections of Helen, her status, and the key she locked Annie Sullivan inside a closet. 

Helen Keller, a girl who learned to communicate (WATER)

Older Helen Keller 

Outside the Keller Museum, we could see Cherry Trees were in full bloom and the gardens aglow with spring colors.

Cherry Trees @ Ivy Green in full bloom 

Tuscumbia’s Bicentennial Commission, Trolley Tour, and "Miracle Ride: Helen Keller in Living History" were awesome.

After the tour, I enjoyed soup, a lunch sandwich, and a slice of mile-high cheesecake. 

Mile high cheesecake 
Cream cheese, pure vanilla, butter baked on a pecan & graham cracker crust! to die for!

An eating bowl full of Crawfish bisque 
1/2 turkey with smoked cheddar melted cheese and a tall glass of iced tea

I had a wonderful day, a bit cold, but I finished the day off with a hot bowl of Crawfish bisque.

🏛2017 Aug 1, James K. Polk 's Ancestral Home Columbia, Tennessee

Hubby and I enjoyed the free Chick-fil-A minis for breakfast, then had our swimming pool water checked and stopped in for our weekly B-12 Shots.

We rode to Columbia, Tennessee, to tour James K. Polk's Home & Museum. As many times as we had visited Columbia, we had never stopped to go inside the home, so we made a special trip just to tour the home.

The Living Room 

The dining room

Master Bedroom

The Stairs 

The Kitchen 

The Gardens

The Presidency 1845-1849 

James Knox Polk, our 11th president 

James K Polk for the Union
This house, constructed in 1816, is the only surviving Tennessee residence associated with the nation's eleventh president. James Knox Polk (1795-1849) lived here from 1818 to 1824. When Polk's mother died in 1852, the house passed to his younger brother, William H. Polk.

As Tennesseans considered secession during the 1860 presidential election, William Polk supported Stephen H. Douglas, the Northern Democrat, over John Breckinridge, the Southern Democratic candidate. In 1861, Polk became a staunch Unionist. He chaired the Tennessee Unionist Convention, which selected him as its gubernatorial nominee to oppose secessionist Isham G. Harris for Tennessee governor. The Confederate press lambasted Polk's candidacy, and a Nashville paper proclaimed that he could "no more fill the place of Governor than Falstaff could play Hamlet." Harris handily defeated Polk, 74,973 to 43,342 votes.

After Federal troops occupied Columbia in March 1862, they established the Provost Marshal headquarters at St. Peter's Episcopal Church next door to the Polk house. In September, Polk joined Union Gen. Thomas L. Crittenden's staff in Nashville. The Nashville Daily Union proclaimed on September 9, "Blessed with all the comforts and luxuries of a delightful home, he has voluntarily left them all to fight for that flag which he loved, 

2. James K. Polk House, which James K. Polk delighted to honor."

Polk became ill in Nashville and died there on December 16, 1862. His older brother's widow, Sarah K. Polk, arranged with Union General William S. Rosecrans to have his body transported to Columbia to be buried in Greenwood Cemetery.

It was a small group, a couple from up north with two children, a couple headed to Atlanta for a wedding, and us.
Our guide was very well-informed about the Polk family as he guided us through the home, including the stair climb to the three bedrooms.
The kitchen was outside in another building, and the gardens were self-guided.
We walked back inside the museum and gift shop before they left.
We continued talking to the couple that was headed to Atlanta.

It was getting close to lunchtime, so we stopped at Long John Silver (hubby's favorite) I love their cod.
We stopped at Tractor Supply in Lawrenceburg, then headed for home.

🏛 Thomas Edison's Winter Home Historic Markers Fort Myers, Fl

Thomas Edison 

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 cooler climate of Jacksonville.

Real estate agency Hueisenkamp & Cranford helped Edison find a 14-acre property along the Caloosahatchee River, in the countryside one mile south of the city of Fort Myers. The grounds were mostly scrub and wild vegetation and the plants included Giant Green Bamboo, a natural fiber Edison was experimenting with as a filament for the incandescent light bulb.

After buying the property from cattleman Samuel Summerlin for $2,750, Edison made plans by creating a notebook that included a sketch illustrating his ideal winter retreat. His sketch included not only the homes, but also a laboratory, maintenance shop, and gardens for exotic and edible plants.

Fire Control in Edison’s Time... and Today

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 the west side of the property. From there, it was piped to five different locations via a 5-inch underground water main with 3-inch branch pipes.

A standpipe at each location had a hose rack and a reel with 100 feet of a 2-inch hose. The sandpipes were located at:

. The Main House

. The Guest House

. The Caretaker’s Cottage

. The Original 1886 laboratory

. A location on the east side of McGregor Boulevard

Several of these standpipes can still be seen today, including those at the Main House and Guest House.

Fire control was enhanced in 1919 when five portable Pyrene fire extinguishers were installed inside the following areas, and chemical extinguishers hung outside:

. Thomas and Mina Edison’s bedroom

. Sitting Room

. Dining room

. Kitchen

. Caretaker’s Cottage garage bay

Today, historic structures at the Edison and Ford Winter Estates are outfitted with a state-of-the-art VESDA (Very Early Smoke Detection Apparatus) system, along with a Borrell Mist system.

When fire or smoke is detected,

tiny water droplets and pressurized gas are delivered. As the droplets contact with fire, they convert to steam, absorbing energy from the surface of burning materials. As the steam expands, it lowers the firing temperature and prevents oxygen from reaching the fire, which smothers it.

Also, the porches of the Edison houses feature a water sprinkler system to extinguish any fire outside, along with portable fire extinguishers

Thomas Alva Edison 

— February 11, 1847 – October 18, 1931

Named the 20th century “Man of the Millennium” by LIFE Magazine, Thomas Alva Edison is best known for perfecting a commercially viable incandescent light bulb. However, Edison was also a newspaper printer, telegrapher, and inventor, who “transformed middle-class life.” He discovered an astounding number of commercial applications for ordinary materials and agricultural products. Although his favorite invention was the phonograph, his work spanned improvements to the telegraph, the light bulb, generator and motors, movie-making, batteries, cement, and a domestic source of rubber, one of his primary research focuses in southwest Florida.

From his first visit in 1885 to his last stay in Fort Myers in 1931, Edison created a remarkable estate that included areas for his research, as well as family and social activities. His love of Florida included pastimes like fishing, boating, reading, a trip to town, and exploring the tropical paradise that Edison affectionately referred to as his “Eden”.

Edison's famous quote, “There is only one Fort Myers and soon 90 million Americans will discover it” has proven true, for thousands of national, international, and Florida residents visit the Edison & Ford Winter Estates every year.

This Statue of Thomas Edison was donated by the Estate's patron Darilyn Alderman and created by sculptor D. J. Wilkins in 2004.

Edison Guest House

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 flows.

Come down with me to Seminole Lodge

Where grapefruit & orange bloom,

Where bananas & palm trees skirt the shore

Of the pool, you swim in at noon

Come down with me & meet our dear Hosts,

In this Heaven of sunshine & haze,

And then you’ll know why on the Florida coast-

The birds brush their throats in mere praise-

The home was originally built for Edison’s good friends Ezra and Lillian Gilliland as their winter retreat. The Gilliland’s only enjoyed three years in Fort Myers and sold the home to Ambrose McGregor in 1891. The McGregor family lived year-round in the house until 1902. The road that runs along this home was named McGregor Boulevard, in honor of Mr. McGregor, in 1914.

Edison purchased the home in 1906 and created a guest house for family and friends. This building houses the dining room, kitchen/pantry area, and servant’s quarters for the s.

Visitors such as Henry Ford and Harvey Firestone stayed for days, while Charles Lindbergh came for dinner. Many received

reminders of Florida visits when mangoes, grapefruit, guava, and orange marmalade would arrive at their northern homes

 Banyan Tree (Ficus benghalensis) 

— Planted as a sapling circa 1927 —

 Native to South Asia

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 tested during this project.

Ficus trees, such as the banyan, produce a fair amount of latex. However, labor costs and the tree’s slow growth made this option impractical for Edison, who was looking for a plant that could be harvested several times a year.

The Banyan tree (also known as the walking tree) is native to the heart of the rubber-producing region of southern Asia, which dominated the rubber market during the 1920s and 30s.

Banyans are one of the more than 800 species within the genus Ficus. The long branches support themselves by producing aerial roots that slowly grow downward into the ground, forming pillar-like trunks. There are over 13 types of Ficus throughout the gardens of Edison Ford.

Historical documents reveal the banyan was planted as a sapling on the Edison property around 1927. It is the largest banyan in the continental United States, with a canopy that covers almost one acre of land.

 Edison Pier

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 initial function changed.

Mina’s correspondence to family in 1909 relates, “Thomas caught a trout, snapper and I think a small tarpon which he did land, right off the pier… We may supper there this evening, I am not sure.”

By this time, Edison had improved the pier by lengthening it into the Caloosahatchee River by about 1,500 feet and adding small docks, boathouses, and a summer house. The area was used routinely as a gathering place for leisure and recreational activities.

The many beautifying improvements to the grounds in the 1920s included the addition of a feature at the entrance of the pier. It was comprised of a rustic bridge, benches, and a trellis wrapped with a colorful bougainvillea vine. Besides creating a new spot to sit along the riverbank, the feature enhanced the impressive view across the lawn through to the river as guests entered the Estate via the Main Gate Allee.

Edison Pool Complex

“Madeleine, Marie, Theodore, and the two maids have gone bathing in the hotel pool—so everybody is happy, wrote Mina to family, on April 7, 1909. By the 1911 winter season, the family and staff no longer had to travel downtown to the Royal Palm Hotel pool. Edison had a bathing pool built right on his own Estate.

The pool was constructed by W.R. Wallace and the Company of Fort Myers. The work included the floor and walls made of concrete, reinforced throughout with woven wires or expanded metal, corners for 10 feet reinforced with ½ inch-twisted iron bars, and the side and bottom made continuous by the interweaving of the metal. Initially, it included stone steps leading to the pool, a plank walk around the interior of the pool, a board fence, and dressing rooms located on the southeast corner. The final cost of the project was about $1,000.

The swimming pool underwent major changes in 1928 to meet more modern needs. The remodeling plan was designed by the local architect Nat Gaillard Walker. Concrete walks around the pool, pipe framing for the railing fence and pavilion, a tea house, a fountain, and a bathhouse with showers were added. All features were attached to make one combined entertainment area.

The pool complex remained a favorite spot for the Edison family as Madeleine relates in a letter to her mother on March 10, 1947: 

“We did enjoy the lazy days at Fort Myers—I couldn’t have borne it not to see the place again it always was—and I’m glad it was warm enough for a farewell swim in the pool!”.

Edison Estate Restoration and Rebirth

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 a pergola and Guest House. The Edison Moonlight Garden and Little Office were built in the 1920s, and the Edison Caretaker’s House was added in the same period with a garage and living quarters. There is also a pool, teahouse, and seawall recreation area adjacent to the river.

In 2007, through a $10 million multi-year, award-winning project, the site was restored to its 1929 appearance.

Through the leadership of a new non-profit governing board, The Thomas Edison & Henry Ford Winter Estates Inc., a new era of restoration excellence, conservation, and program development has emerged. The award-winning project has been developed and has emerged. The award-winning project has been designated by the National Trust for Historic Preservation as one of 12 national projects noted for excellence in preservation.

Restoration and Rebirth support from:

. Thomas Edison & Henry Ford Winter Estates, Inc.

. City of Fort Myers

. Lee County

. The state of Florida

. National Trust for Historic Preservation

. Donors to the Edison-Ford Winter Estates Foundation

. National Garden Clubs, Inc.

. Fort Myers/Lee County Council of Garden Clubs, Inc.

. Periwinkle, Edison, Carissa, and Jasmine Garden Clubs

. Principal Financial Group

. The University of Florida/Lee County Master Gardeners 

Edison Caretaker's Yard

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. The northern end of the main Estate provided alike space, though on a smaller scale. A hog wire “fence separated the domestic support area in the early years. Wheelbarrows, wagons, ladders, rakes, and garden tools were often visible.

A warehouse was built in this section and used to store the materials for the houses during construction. More than likely it continued to store various estate supplies until being moved to the east side in 1913. A large chicken house and run were located close to the house. The staff and the family relied on and welcomed fresh eggs and chickens. This large structure was razed when the existing cistern was built in 1919. A smaller house and run were then built.

Beehives were also located in the yard, R. W. Kellow, a secretary to Mr. Edison, describes in a 1917 report of the Estate, “I understand that a portion of the honey produced is consumed by the Edison family during the occupancy of the estate, but that it has not been the practice to have any of the honey shipped to Orange.” (West Orange, New Jersey, where the main

Edison home is located)

• Motor Generator                               
• Motor Generator The Hertner Electric Company Cleveland, Ohio Serial No. 2528 15 hp 220v 30 60 Hz 37A 1750 RMP 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, and electric launch named Reliance. It may have also lit the light 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 1886 Edison was interested in bringing electricity to the rest of Fort Myers, and several reasons prevented the project. Years later in 1898, local resident A.A. Gardner franchised the first electric plant in 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.

“Why, this will be the finest thing that ever happened to lovely Fort Myers.

” — -Thomas Edison

“Beyond doubt, you have the finest place in the country, and if you build a seawall inside a few years this section will not be large enough to hold the tourists that will be scrambling to get here every winter. Yes, sir, by all means, build -Thomas Edison, thoughts on the proposed city seawall from a local newspaper article in 1908.

Edison built the first section of the rock seawall along with his property in 1903 and extended it along with the Guest House property in 1907. the seawall was 3' tall and 2' wide and was completed for $450. The Seminole Lodge Caretaker, Ewald Stulpner, related in a letter to Edison that the structure “makes a great improvement to your riverfront."

The seawall protected the property and provided a small beachfront area for the Edison family and guests. The lawn along the seawall was also an important feature of the landscape.

Seawall Restoration 2005

. Lee County Beach and Shoreline Grant

. The state of Florida, Office of Tourism, Trade, and Economic Development

. City of Fort Myers

. Florida Gulf Coast University Archeological Survey.

Edison Caretaker’s House

Some of the Seminole Lodge Staff are 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 Scarth Edgar & Mrs. Smith Frank Stout

Ewald Stuplner B.E. & Mrs. Tinstman Eli Thompson Hans Zeeman

A section of this building was on the grounds when Edison purchased the property in 1885 from cattleman Samuel Summerlin. In developing plans for the Estates, Edison decided to keep the house and to “repair it and use it for the employees.” His improvements to Seminole Lodge in 1903 included the addition of a room, porches, and bathroom to the “Summerlin House.” The L-Addition created an apartment for driver Sidney Scarth and their family. A two-bay car garage and tool bay were completed and in use by 1929.

Edison relied on local help, as well as staff sent from his main home in West Orange, New Jersey, to maintain the Estates. Staff was an integral part of the property, corresponding frequently with Mr. and Mrs. Edison about activities in Fort Myers. Staff positions included general agents, caretakers, gardeners, cooks, and drivers.

Edison Heritage Garden 

— In Memory of Thomas and Mina Edison

This garden area has been created to reflect Edison's 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 Estates.

According to his original 1885 landscape sketch, Thomas Edison intended for his Estate property to include not only homes, a laboratory, and outlying buildings, but also areas for growing fruits and vegetables that could be eaten, given to friends and family, or sold by the staff via “truck gardens,” which literally meant selling produce out of the back of a truck.

Edison’s plan listed pineapples, citrus, peanuts, and other edible plants that could be cultivated in the tropics. He frequently created raised beds and container gardens to efficiently produce and research his plants. He also employed innovative practices for irrigation, propagation, and fertilization such as using seaweed as fertilizer and rainwater for irrigation.

In keeping with the Edison tradition, today the Estate uses organic plant food and soaps, as well as supplementary rainwater.

The Estates horticulture staff encourages volunteer participation in the care, propagation, and sale of an ever-changing variety of heritage plants that reflect the lifestyle of the Edisons. The Estates is also an official site of the University of Florida Extension Service Master Gardener program, and volunteer service applies.

Heritage plants for sale and classes throughout the year encourage public involvement and knowledge of the unique horticulture and gardening interests of the Edisons.

 Edison’s Water Systems

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 1887 Edison provided water to the Caretaker’s House via a windmill, which pumped water from the well to a storage tank perched on a tower. At the same time, a water tank was placed at the first lab to provide the water that ran the steam boiler for the electricity-producing generator. It is also believed that cisterns were located in both houses.

In 1902 Edison began to create an extensive and formal water system for the property. A well was dug next to the lab to provide a more direct route for water to power the steam boiler. Between 1903 and 1908 several other well/elevated tank/pumping systems were placed around the Caretaker’s House. Two artesian wells were dug. Pipes were laid all around the grounds to provide water for the homes for domestic use as well as food crop irrigation. A sprinkler system was also installed to maintain an improved Florida garden. A fire standpipe system was installed in 1909 and used until a Pyrene system and chemical extinguishers were placed at the Estate in 1919.

In 1919 a large concrete cistern (40,000 gallons) was built to capture rainwater for drinking only. By 1929 city water was hooked up to the riverside property. However, a new system incorporating the old deep well and a rainwater tank with a grid for drainage ditches was constructed on the east property to supply water for the Edison Botanic Research project.

The Moonlight Garden

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 shipman’s ideas matched what the Edisons envisioned for their garden. Mina Edison was significantly influential in modifying the plan to suit her own vision for a formal garden that created a casual, private area for family and guests to gather.

Upon completion in January 1929, the Fort Myers Tropical News described the garden as”…surrounded by a tall trellis, over which hang scarlet bougainvillea, now in full bloom. The garden itself consists of about 25 separate beds laid out in a neat geometric pattern.”

The initial planting in the Moonlight Garden included the old stock bougainvillea that had been supported by the south wall of the original laboratory as well as new cedar trees, azaleas, roses, and lilies. Throughout the following years, plantings were added or changed to fit the season and climate of South Florida. The garden underwent a restoration in 2003 and now displays tall podocarps trees and flowering plants, such as azaleas, roses, water lilies, begonias, and pentads.

The Moonlight Garden at Seminole Lodge is one of a handful of remaining

Ellen Biddle Shipman Gardens. It is a treasure to share with visitors today, as Edison did at an earlier time.

Orchid Lane and Friendship Walk

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 decomposing matter, such as leaves and dead insects that get caught in the roots or leaves. Orchids find mango trees perfect hosts on which to grow. The Edisons received gifts and purchased orchids from around the world and placed them in the trees at the Fort Myers Estate because the climate was perfectly suited for this flowering plant. The path along McGregor Boulevard eventually became known as Orchid Lane.

Today orchids like the Phalaenopsis, Dendrobium, and Cattleya can be seen throughout the gardens, as well as along Orchard Lane. The Estate is a Convention on International Trade and Endangered Species (CITES) designated organization by the U. S. Department of the Interior and receives plants from throughout the world.

The stones along the pathway create the Friendship Garden features at Seminole Lodge. Each stone was a gift to the Edisons from, friends, family, and local community members and leaders. This path started in 1928 with a stone from Hamilton Holt, the president of Rollins College in Winter Park, Florida. There are also stones in memory of Mina’s mother

and father, Mary and Lewis Miller, and the Valinda Circle, a local group promoting the ideals of the Chautauqua movement, which advocated culture, entertainment, and education in small towns. Mina’s father was one of the founders of Chautauqua, and Valinda was her mother’s maiden name

 Mina Miller Edison — 1865 - 1947

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, Edison enjoyed creating areas for botanical research and family pleasure gardens as well as useful kitchen and truck gardens. In fact, Thomas Edison tested more than 17,000 plants for possible sources of rubber and also grew numerous fruits and vegetables such as citrus, mango, and pineapples.

This area of the Estate was dedicated as a kitchen garden or in Edison’s words, a “garden truck,” where staff could raise plants to use and sell.

Mina Edison was also very interested in plants and gardening. On the estate, she worked with landscape architects to create the beautiful Moonlight Garden as; well as the porch gardens that surrounded the historic buildings.

In the community, Mina Edison worked to improve Fort Myers through the creation of garden clubs and was an original member of the local Periwinkle Garden Club.

The statue of Mina Edison in the garden was created by sculptor Don Wilkins and generously contributed by the Estate's patron Overall McCleary.

Edison Family Home Seminole Lodge

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 the construction and painting of the houses and laboratory were purchased. Furnishings, linens, books, and fishing gear were selected. All materials were sent down from northern cities by several steamships, unloaded, and assembled on-site.

On February 24, 1886, Thomas and Mina Miller were married. Soon after, the couple traveled down to stay at Seminole Lodge. The Florida paradise continued to draw Thomas, and Mina their children, extended family, friends, and business associates for the following 61 years.

“The house is a dream and we are living in fairyland,” wrote Mina Edison to her mother, on February 15, 1910. In Seminole Lodge, the Edison family found a retreat from the cold of the northern winter, as well as from the busy work and social demands of New Jersey. However, Edison continued his research on various projects in Fort Myers.

Grateful to the local citizens, Mina deeded the property and the homes to the City of Fort Myers in 1947 for $1. Seminole Lodge has been open for the public to visit and enjoy since November 1947.