Ford Charcoal Briquets and Picnic Kit Display in a Hardware Store, 1938

Ford Motor Company manufactured charcoal briquettes from wood wastes generated by its lumber operations in Michigan's Upper Peninsula. To help promote the briquettes, Ford also sold charcoal grills through its auto dealerships and employee commissaries, as well as traditional hardware and sporting goods stores. Charcoal provided picnickers with a quick-burning fuel that eliminated the work of gathering and lighting firewood.