One of the highlights in Fort Myers is the Edison & Ford Winter Estates. Win, my college fraternity brother, and his wife Susan, who winter in North Naples, met us here to tour this historic site. Thomas Edison and Henry Ford became lifelong friends, and these estates are next to each other facing the Caloosahatchee River. Edison's site dates from 1885 when he first visited the area and bought the property. Ford purchased the adjoining property, The Mangoes, in 1916.
During WWI, Edison became concerned that rubber would be in short supply, built a laboratory on the site, and experimented with plants that might produce latex. The research work was eventually shut down in 1934, after failing to find a workable solution.
The tour includes the two homes, a laboratory, a museum, acres of grounds, and beautiful gardens with a vast variety of vegetation. This is a must-see if you are in Fort Myers.
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| Edison Estate |
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| Ford Estate |
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| Our very good friends, Win and Susan |
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