Overview

Discover the little-known story of the famous inventor's time in the Sunshine State Florida Historical Society Rembert Patrick Award Thomas Alva Edison (1847-1931) was America's most famous and, arguably, most prolific, inventor. But few realize the extent to which he called Florida home. Between 1885 and his death in 1931, Edison and his family wintered in the sleepy Gulf Coast town of Fort Myers, south of Tampa. There, they were the pride of the small town, which eagerly watched to see what magic the Wizard would conjure. In this fascinating and detailed biography, Michele Albion has amassed details of the Edisons' years in Fort Myers. Using a wide range of little-known resources, including photographs, manuscripts, maps, and newspaper accounts, she presents a uniquely intimate portrait of the inventor as an influential member of a close-knit community. In doing so, she reveals important facets of Edison's life that are largely unknown or overlooked by biographers. Written by the first professional curator of the Edison and Ford Winter Estates, and filled with photographs, maps, and graphics, The Florida Life of Thomas Edison also discusses the impact Edison's wife, Mina, had on the culture and community of Fort Myers. As Albion writes, ""In other locations, the Edisons were respected and admired. In Fort Myers, they were loved.""

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9780813081243

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Reviews

“This is both a portrait of Thomas Edison and a record of the vast changes to the region of Fort Myers. . . . Albion, former curator of the Edison and Ford Winter Estates, writes with an eye for extraordinary as well as ordinary details, from the difficult task of lighting Fort Myers in the late 1880’s to family expeditions up the Caloosahatchee River and into the Everglades.”—Publishers Weekly “Albion has collected a plethora of unusual details about the celebrated inventor’s years in Fort Myers and the impact his presence had on the sleepy town between 1885 and 1931.”—FORUM Magazine “A rich and interesting portrayal of Thomas and Mina Edison’s work, recreation, and community activism in the Sunshine State.”—Florida Historical Quarterly

Author Information

Michele Wehrwein Albion is a writer based in New Hampshire. She is the editor of The Quotable Edison and other books.

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