Perhaps one of the most famous places in the history of invention is a white, two-story building in Menlo Park, New Jersey. This special building earned its fame because it was where the inventor Thomas Edison worked day and night, dreaming up new ideas. He called it the “invention factory” because it was where he had his very own laboratory and the freedom to let the magic of his mind explode! At the invention factory, Edison not only had his own lab but his own blacksmithing shop and carpentry facility. The inventor and his family decided to move into a house just two blocks away so that it was quick and easy to get to work each day. Often, Edison would go home for dinner and then return to the factory. He would then order dinner from a local tavern for his employees working late. They would eat, relax, sing and play music together before returning to work, often staying at the factory until all hours of the night.
Edison’s Menlo Park laboratory was the birthplace of some of his most famous inventions. There he devised plans for devices that would revolutionize everyday life for all of mankind – many of which we still use to this day! Some of these inventions include: the light bulb, the record player, the electric-powered railroad, the generator, the movie camera and more. All of these came from Edison’s time at Menlo Park.
On New Year’s Eve of 1879, Edison and his team planned a special presentation for the people of Menlo Park. Large crowds gathered around, eagerly awaiting to see what the inventor had in store. All of a sudden, forty outdoor lamps lit up the street. Edison’s invention was a success! A brilliant orange glow fell on the snow-covered ground as the crowd cheered. He had proven that his electric lighting system could be used to brighten the streets of New Jersey and the rest of the world. Life would never be the same.
With the help of his fellow scientists, Thomas Edison managed to create over four hundred inventions at the Menlo Park lab. Eventually Edison moved to New York City, and his beloved invention factory fell into a state of disrepair. Many have tried to restore the famous buildings where so much creativity, fun and hard work took place, but the project has not been completed. The people of New Jersey are still brainstorming ways to remember and celebrate such an intelligent man whose inventions contributed so much to modern society.
While Thomas Edison may not have been a magician who performed tricks on stage, he certainly had a magic touch when it came to using his imagination to create new inventions. It comes as no surprise that he came to be known by his admirers as, “The Wizard of Menlo Park.”