Excerpt:
Contrary to popular belief, Thomas Edison was not born into poverty in a backwater mid-western town. Actually, he was born (on Feb. 11, 1847) to middle-class parents in the bustling port of Milan, Ohio, a community that - next to Odessa, Russia - was the largest wheat shipping center in the world. In 1854, his family moved to the vibrant community of Port Huron, Michigan, which ultimately surpassed the commercial preeminence of both Milan and Odessa....
Annotation:
This site includes a biography and timeline of Thomas Edison's life, as well as information about his experiments in the production and distribution of electric power in Brockton, Massachusetts. The site serves as a good summary of Edison's work and offers a useful background on the Brockton experiments which can be a starting point for further research.