Seminole Lodge and The Mangoes
Among the rich and famous, wintering in Florida became popular in the late nineteenth centurty. Edison purchased 13 acres on the Caloosahatchee River in Ft. Myers in 1885. He built Seminole Lodge which was comprised of his winter retreat home, a labratory, and extensive gardens. By the early 1910s, Edison and Henry Ford had developed a close, personal friendship and had often vacationed together in Florida. So when the property adjacent to Seminole Lodge became available in 1916, Ford purchased The Mangoes. Ford would often schedule his winter visits around Edison's birthday celebrations. Seminole Lodge and The Mangoes were both eventually sold to the city of Ft. Myers and are now open to the public. To find out more information about the Edison Ford winter estates click http://www.edisonfordwinterestates.org/