Fort Myers was a center of innovation a century ago. Thomas Alva Edison purchased property on the banks of the Caloosahatchee River next to the settlement of Fort Myers in the late 1800's to get away from the cold of Michigan. He was joined there by Henry Ford and Harry Firestone of automobile and tire fame and fortune. Not only did they enjoy winter weather here, they built a laboratory to study the best sources for rubber, a product that had many applications in each of their industries (Edison had many businesses as a result of his prolific inventions).
Sunday, the Jerdees and Rolfsruds journeyed to the site, owned by the city of Fort Myers. In what was to be a museum-like experience that should only hold the long attention of Al and Virgil, the day actually worked out well for Becky and Becky. (It did not hurt that there was a shop on the premises to occupy BLR's interest.) BJ was quite impressed with the enormity of Edison's influence on not only inventions (over 1,000 patents), but his extensive and successful business interests that resulted.
Beyond his prodigious mechanical renderings, Edison was seriously interested in botany. He planted a great number of species imported from all over the world on his property. We began our journey with lunch at the Banyan Cafe (see photo), named for the largest banyan tree in the continental USA. It was planted a century ago from a cutting from a tree in Africa brought by Firestone for his friend Edison. The local tree currently covers an acre. Its mother tree now covers 14 acres.
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Quite an enjoyable day for all. Al and Virgil, always the gentlemen, cut short their meanderings to relieve BLR of her duty to sit and wait in the Florida warmth among flora and fauna, feeling the gentle ocean breezes on her face. One can only take so much of that torment!
Sunday, the Jerdees and Rolfsruds journeyed to the site, owned by the city of Fort Myers. In what was to be a museum-like experience that should only hold the long attention of Al and Virgil, the day actually worked out well for Becky and Becky. (It did not hurt that there was a shop on the premises to occupy BLR's interest.) BJ was quite impressed with the enormity of Edison's influence on not only inventions (over 1,000 patents), but his extensive and successful business interests that resulted.Beyond his prodigious mechanical renderings, Edison was seriously interested in botany. He planted a great number of species imported from all over the world on his property. We began our journey with lunch at the Banyan Cafe (see photo), named for the largest banyan tree in the continental USA. It was planted a century ago from a cutting from a tree in Africa brought by Firestone for his friend Edison. The local tree currently covers an acre. Its mother tree now covers 14 acres.
.jpg)
Quite an enjoyable day for all. Al and Virgil, always the gentlemen, cut short their meanderings to relieve BLR of her duty to sit and wait in the Florida warmth among flora and fauna, feeling the gentle ocean breezes on her face. One can only take so much of that torment! 
