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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.
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” — -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.
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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
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