The Model T Ford and barbequing ????
Last Saturday morning, after listening to the news, I was about to turn off the TV when a segment on a child's show caught my attention. I had never heard about the connection between Henry Ford and Kingsford briquets and found it very interesting.
It's a well known fact that Ford's Model T was the first affordable car ... one that even a middle class person could buy. This was due in large part to Ford's efficiency… such as his idea of the assembly line to increase production. So it was no surprise when (with the aid of Edward Kingsford, real estate agent) he acquired a large tract of timberland in Michigan in order to supply his own wood.
It soon became apparent that the sawmill produced not only the timber that he needed but also much waste such as branches and sawdust. Of course this was another challenge that Ford welcomed and the result was:
Ford Charcoal changed hands in 1951 when it was bought by an investment group and renamed Kingsford Charcoal. I wish I'd bought a few shares in the company back then !
posted by Ginnie at 5:00 PM
8 Comments:
A fascinating bit of trivia.
Interesting connection I didn't know about! Have a great day, Ginnie.
Interesting. We have a lot of old photographs of my husband's family having picnics beside those old cars. The people are dressed up in Sunday clothes and eating from real china. The women are wearing hats and gloves. Far more formal than our picnics.
I too love these little gems of historical connections. Well done!
Goodness, I had no idea about that connection. Henry was really a smart business man and recycled before it was fashionable.
Interesting tidbit of info. I had no idea either. Hope you also had a good Mother's Day!!
Interesting story I hadn't heard before either. My bro had a Model T as a teenager which he was very proud of owning.
Well I learn something every day, Ginnie, and many thanks for the background info. Who would have thought that there would be a connection between cars and charcoal?
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