Pioneer of the assembly line, Henry Ford revolutionized the automotive industry in the United States by creating a production line that would cost effectively produce vehicles that could be sold at lower costs to the middle class. Ford motor Company released the Model T for $950 in 1908. In the Model T's nineteen years of production, its price dipped as low as $280. Ford doubled wages offered by other manufactures and reduced the average workday to 8 hours in length, instating a three-shift workday which could produce a completed vehicle chassis in just 93 minutes.

At Henry Ford’s Dearborn estate, this sycamore stands in Jensen's Meadow. 

Did You Know?

Thomas Alva Edison bought property beside the Caloosahatchee River in southwestern Florida in 1885 where he had a winter home constructed. Henry Ford bought the adjoining property in 1916 and used the house named “The Mangoes” as a winter retreat. To combat the rising price of rubber for car tires, Edison and Ford combined efforts at their Florida estates to research latex-producing plants that could be grown in North America.

In Florida, Thomas Edison and Henry Ford were next-door neighbors. Their estates have been combined and can be visited in Fort Myers, Florida.

Learn More about Henry Ford

The Henry Ford, Dearborn, MI: 
http://www.thehenryford.org/

Edison & Ford Winter Estates 
Fort Myers, FL: http://www.edisonfordwinterestates.org/

Proposed Henry Ford Sycamore - Industrial Garden

When Henry Ford bought The Mangoes in Fort Myers as a winter home in 1916, he established a laboratory there dedicated to botanical research. He was attempting to find plant materials that could be used to produce rubber efficiently, as it was needed in huge quantities in his Model T factories. He found his answer in goldenrod, but his discovery was quickly overshadowed when rubber began to be manufactured from petroleum instead. This garden highlights the plants that produce latex, integral to the production of natural rubber, with many of the species planted inside stacks of recycled tires.

Examples of Proposed Plants:

♦ Goldenrod (Solidago spp.) - Goldenrod species yield large amounts of latex, and Edison actually hybridized his own species (Solidago edisoniana) that grew four times as tall and produced twice as much latex as other species. Since this species is not available commercially today, our garden will feature native Florida goldenrod species like Seaside Goldenrod, Canada Goldenrod, and Chapman’s Goldenrod.

♦ Ficus (Ficus spp.) - The Mangoes is renowned for its enormous Banyan tree. Edison experimented with these trees for their latex. As an additional tree is not practical in this garden, we will include smaller Ficus species, including Rubber Plant (Ficus elastica) and Weeping Fig (Ficus benjamina).

♦ Milkweed (Asclepias spp.) - Milkweed species contain 1 - 2 % natural rubber, and were explored as a natural rubber source.

About This Bench

MOSI is currently seeking funds to purchase cedar benches that will be mural painted by local artists for each of our Historic Trees. Once funds are obtained, MOSI will publish a call for artist plans, specifically seeking submissions from local Tampa Bay artisans to create a mural on this bench. Submitted plans will be reviewed and a favorite three to five plans will be chosen by a MOSI review team. Once these favorites are selected, MOSI will publish the favorite plans and invite the public and our MOSI guests to vote for a winning design for this bench mural. Once the winning design is chosen, the artist will be contacted and provided with a small stipend to help them realize their design. The final design sketch, a biography of the chosen artist and a photo of the completed bench will appear on this page.

About This Wind Instrument

MOSI is currently seeking funds to create artistic and hand made wind instruments for each of our Historic Trees so that each tree will have a unique voice and the grove will be filled with music. Once funds are obtained, MOSI will publish a call for artist plans, specifically seeking submissions from local Tampa Bay artisans. Submitted plans will be reviewed and a favorite three to five plans will be chosen by a MOSI review team. Once these favorites are selected, MOSI will publish the favorite plans and invite the public and our MOSI guests to vote for a winning design. Once the winning design is chosen, the artist will be contacted and provided with a small stipend to help them realize their design. The final design sketch, a biography of the chosen artist and a photo of the completed design will appear on this page.