#Ford July 29
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July 2026 several of us are going to take on theĀ 30-Day America at 250 Coach4aday Challenge. Each day we share something about Americaās unique and quirky history. It can be about a place, an event, or person.Ā Today it about something other than cars that Henry FORD introduced to Americans.
Henry Ford revolutionized the purchase of automobiles for Americans with the Model T. That vehicle was memorable because it was constructed with steel, but it also contained almost 100 board feet of wood. Ford with the help of a partner acquired large tracts of timber that he could make the necessary wooden products his factory needed. He became curious on what the waste products from his sawmills could be utilized for. That inquisitive nature combined with a sense of frugality created a product that most of us are familiar with.
Day 29-Ford and Kingsford Charcoal
The wood in the Model T was used for:
- The body framework
- Floorboards
- Dashboard/firewall components
- Wooden-spoke wheels
- Steering wheel
- Seat frames
- Various structural braces and trim
The demand for wood to build Model Ts became so great that Henry Ford decided to control his own lumber supply. Working with his business partner and cousin, Edward G. Kingsford, Ford acquired more than 400,000 acres of timberland in Michigan and established the Iron Mountain sawmill to produce the wood needed for his automobiles.
The sawmill had lots of wood scrapsāsawdust, slabs, and stumps. Kingsford found a way to use those by-products to create charcoal briquettes. When they were first sold, they were marketed as Ford Charcoal. Years later it was renamed Kingsford Charcoal to honor Edward G Kingsford.
Today Kingsford is owned by the Chlorox Company FYI Chlorox also owns Hidden Valley Ranch Dressing.
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