The rubber tree plant

Thursday, Feb. 23, 2012 FORT MYERS, FL – Dependence on foreign materials, for the United States, has been a worry for much longer than some people may realize. Today we saw an early version of that concern, at the Edison and Ford Winter Estates in Fort Myers. Thomas A. Edison, best known for the invention of the light bulb, was also keenly interested in finding an American source of rubber for the tires of the fledgling auto industry. He planted a small banyan tree from India, a gift from his friend Harvey Firestone, at his summer estate in Fort Myers to see if the US could replicate that country’s rubber production. That tree is now a massive plant which covers an entire acre of the property. Unfortunately, due to Florida’s lower humidity and heat (compared to India’s), the rubber harvest was disappointing. That didn’t stop the master inventor from searching for other sources of latex, the gooey white plant liquid that rubber is made of. In the end, it was the lowly goldenrod plant that appeared to be the answer. This and other discoveries and inventions of “the Wizard”, as some have called him, are showcased at the 17-acre estate on the shore of the Caloosahatchee River which Edison acquired in 1885. He bought the property in what was then a remote part of Florida so he and his family could get away from New Jersey winters and, later on, the curious public. The property is gorgeous. Edison’s wife, Mina, was a wonderful gardener, and everywhere there are flowers of every description – bougainvillea, orchids, lilies, roses and more – plus stately Royal Palms lining pathways and the street behind the house, bamboo stands and several enormous banyan trees. Edison’s research plants are also still growing near his laboratory. Wide lawns extend to the shore of the river, and there is even a large concrete swimming pool that dates back to 1911 – one of the first ever. Learning about Edison’s prolific inventions, devotion to research, leadership among other great American thinkers, and love of the outdoors was an added bonus. It was fascinating to find out about his encouragement of Henry Ford when he was just experimenting with the motor car, and how that burgeoned into a lasting friendship in later years. Edison’s home welcomed many talented and important figures, including a couple of US presidents, and he patented more than 1,000 inventions. One of them was a talking doll. There was also the ticker machine, which transmitted stock market results across the country, and the earliest phonograph, one of which produced music for us today, after almost 100 years. He also explored motion pictures but never thought they would amount to much! It wasn’t until after Edison died in 1931 that Henry Ford purchased The Mangoes, a house next door to Edison’s estate. Now it is part of the complex, and there are a couple of restored Model T and A Fords for car buffs to admire, as well as a chuck wagon he developed when he, Edison, Firestone and others went on their camping expeditions. The museum and guided tour we enjoyed today really underlined the amazing advances in science, industry and technology that happened in the 20th century, and how many of them came from the synergy of teamwork among creative giants like Ford and Edison.