In the following article we are going to delve into the exciting world of Menlo Park, New Jersey, exploring its most relevant aspects and its implications in modern society. From its emergence to its effects on an individual and collective level, we will embark on a journey of discovery and reflection that will allow us to better understand Menlo Park, New Jersey and its impact on our daily lives. Through in-depth analysis and case studies, we will seek to shed light on the lesser-known aspects of Menlo Park, New Jersey and its relevance in the contemporary world. Join us on this journey of knowledge and discovery, where we hope to open perspectives and generate reflections around Menlo Park, New Jersey.
Menlo Park, New Jersey | |
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Coordinates: 40°33′54″N 74°20′15″W / 40.56500°N 74.33750°W | |
Country | ![]() |
State | ![]() |
County | Middlesex |
Township | Edison |
Elevation | 141 ft (43 m) |
GNIS feature ID | 878259 |
Menlo Park is an unincorporated community within Edison Township in Middlesex County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey.
In 1876, Thomas Edison set up his home and research laboratory in Menlo Park, at the time an unsuccessful real estate development named after the town of Menlo Park, California. In this lab, which was one of the first to pursue practical, commercial applications of research, Edison invented the phonograph and developed a commercially viable incandescent light bulb filament. Christie Street in Menlo Park was one of the first streets in the world to use electric lights for illumination. In 1887, Edison moved his home and laboratory to West Orange. After his death, the Thomas Alva Edison Memorial Tower and Museum was constructed near his old Menlo Park lab and dedicated in 1938. Edison's old lab site and memorial now make up Edison State Park.
The municipality in which Menlo Park is located, which was called "Raritan Township" while Edison was alive, was changed to Edison Township on November 10, 1954.
But even more important than the inventions themselves was the process. Laboratories in the past had mostly pursued pure research, with little or no regard for the practical applications that might flow from that research. Menlo Park was all about practical application, turning ideas into products that would have commercial potential.