Edison and Ford in Florida (Images of America)

Prolific inventor Thomas Edison and automobile pioneer Henry Ford shaped the modern world like few others in history.

The lives of these close friends intersected at their winter homes in southwest Florida. Edison first visited the tiny cattle-ranching community of Fort Myers in 1885, building a home and laboratory soon after. There, he wintered with his wife, Mina, and their children, Madeleine, Charles, and Theodore. Ford purchased the adjacent estate in 1916, wintering in the area with his wife, Clara, and son, Edsel. Here in southwest Florida, these famous neighbors relaxed and found time to explore new projects.

A decade of ongoing research and site restoration at the Edison & Ford Winter Estates has led to new information regarding the lives and work of these two famous friends, their winter homes, personal lives, and how they spent their winters in Florida. Explore this lesser-known side of the lives of these famous families through never before published photographs and newly uncovered historical details. The authors have selected photographs and information that illuminate the fascinating legacy of Thomas Edison and Henry Ford in Florida.