Thomas Edison, born on February 11th, 1847, in a small brick house in Milan, Ohio, was raised by a man who ran a town shingle factory. His family was raised on good food and books, with the exception of Tom, who was called the curious boy due to his curiosity about things.
At five years old, he attempted to hatch duck eggs but failed. When the family moved to Port Huron, MI, Tom’s mother encouraged him to read and read more, leading to his interest in chemistry.
At 12, he wanted to know what the world was about, so he decided to go into business. In 1859, the great railroads began to crisscross America, and a 12-year-old boy would naturally go to the railroad station to seek work.
Tom convinced the Grand Trunk Railway to give him a job selling candy and newspapers on the daily run from Port Huron to Detroit. He also taught the conductor to give him a corner of the baggage car, where he set up a chemical laboratory.
Edison’s curiosity led him to set up his own printing press and started the first newspaper ever published in a railroad train.
The weekly Herald, published by A for Al, was a single sheet affair filled with general information, gossip, local and international news, business facts, figures, and vital statistics.
