“For about six months in 1862 he also published his own newspaper, the Weekly Herald,which he printed in the baggage car of the train with the help of a friendly conductor. In Port Huron he opened two stands selling newspapers and magazines and hired other boys to run them. Edison said that his deafness was actually an asset! He said "it allowed him to work with less distraction and to sleep deeply, undisturbed by outside sounds." (2)Īs a teenager Edison was very enterprising. In those days, without penicillin or other antibiotics for treatment of illnesses and infection, deafness was fairly common, even in young people. His deafness has been attributed to various things, but was probably caused by a childhood illness or ear infections that went untreated.
He later claimed that he had decided to read through all the books in the library but "gave it up after reading about 10 books that were pretty dry reading." (1)Īround this time, Edison realized that his hearing was deteriorating, and this grew worse later in his life. Edison continued to devour science books and the newspapers, magazines, and novels he sold on the train. The Grand Trunk Railroad connected Port Huron to Detroit, the nearest big city, and the young Edison at 12, always fascinated by the steam locomotives and eager for adventure, got a job selling newspapers and candy on the train. Thomas Edison as a boy. (Edison National Historic Site) Learning about electricity He loved to read and was especially interested in science and in what was going on in the world outside of Port Huron. She organized lessons and an extensive reading program for her son. Instead, his mother, a former schoolteacher, taught him at home. He had three older brothers and sisters, only one still living at home.Īl didn't attend public school for very long. But the tower was never a great money maker.Īl, the youngest child in the family, was rather sickly and a great concern for his mother, who had already lost two children in infancy and a third before Al's first birthday. Tourists paid a fee to climb the tower and enjoy the expansive view of the Lake Huron area.
Seeking a way to make money, he built a tall observation tower beside their home. In this new location Al's father engaged in a variety of trades, including lumbering, land speculation, farming, and carpentry. So when Al was seven, the family moved to Port Huron, Michigan, hoping for a better future. But when the railroad reached that part of Ohio, it bypassed Milan and the town's trade faded. The Huron Canal connected Milan to the Huron River, which flowed into Lake Erie, giving eventual access to the Atlantic Ocean, making Milan an important shipping port. Canals were the highways of the early 19th century. His hometown of Milan, Ohio, was a busy place. Edison was an inquisitive boy who began experimenting at an early age. Thomas Alva Edison (nicknamed Al) was born on February 11, 1847, in Milan, Ohio. (Edison National Historic Site 14.300/2) Growing up
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