[21twelve]

https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/thomas-edisons-concrete-houses

Thomas Edison built some homes out of concrete using a one-pour mold. Most of them were pretty plain, but some of them were very ornate and detailed.

For awhile I lived about 2 miles from the old, abandoned Edison Cement Factory in New Jersey. I would mow my elderly neighbor’s yard and have a beer and chat.

After about the third time of him talking about him working at the Edison Cement factory and his various stories about “Tommy” it finally dawned on me.

“Wait - Tommy? As in Thomas Edison!!??”

“Well - who the hell did you think I was talkin’ about!?”

[The Westerner]

Same with my grandfather whose first real job was for Edison's son. He told me they called Edison Tommy. Also he said Edison was worried that the radio would hurt the phonograph business. BTW, grandpa was born in Russia, went to grammar school in NJ, quit after 6th grade, went to work supporting his family. And in his free time built transistor radios. By late teens is working for the Edisons in NJ.

Those were the last years of the great Industrial Revolution late 1910’s when Americans who were well-educated (6th grade back then was equal to college grads today), ambitious and ethical could take advantage of the Opportunity freedom gave them.