[Four clippings from 1926-1933, pertaining to the Edison family's relationship with the Seminole Tribe of Florida, were added in July 2010.]
These documents, which cover the years 1885-1910, consist of photocopies of newspaper articles and interviews, primarily from the Fort Myers News-Press, relating to Edison's activities and winter home in Florida. Included are numerous articles concerning the arrival and departure of Edison, his family, and associates such as Ezra T. Gilliland, Walter S. Mallory, and Robert H. Thompson. There are also items pertaining to Edison's fishing trips, health, and recovery from ear surgery; the social activities of Mina Miller Edison; various renovations to his property, including the construction of a dock and the installation of an irrigation system; and Edison's donation of royal palm trees to the town of Fort Myers. Other articles mention local exhibitions of the kinetoscope; Edison's interest in the extraction of oils from grapefruits and oranges; and his ideas regarding the presence of potash in water from the Caloosahatchee River and local artesian wells. Some of the items relate to Edison's electric launch; his membership in the Fort Myers Yachting and Country Club; and a river steamer named in his honor, in which the inventor apparently had no interest. The clippings also contain information about other part-time residents, visitors, and individuals of local significance in the Fort Myers community; the social and economic life of the town; improvements in railroad service; early electrification projects; and the erection of a sea wall, which Edison favored. A few articles concern Ambrose M. McGregor, president of the Standard Oil Co., who owned property adjacent to Edison's. McGregor's property was sold to a local interest after his death in 1900 and was purchased by Edison in 1906. Courtesy of the Edison-Ford Winter Estates.