Blue coal. A great product, once upon a time, for heating your home. And sold in that once-upon-a-time by my grandfather, Fred Eastland. Fred was an entrepreneur and a good businessman. He was a generous man and a godly man, and he knew something about marketing, it appears.

Over the weekend, my cousin Belinda, sent me a picture of a paper she found in her Mom’s things following her passing. I don’t see a date on the notice from the paper, but considering he died the summer of 1957 it is at least 69 years old. I don’t think they make newspapers like that anymore.

Blue coal apparently came from Pennsylvania and was produced by painting the coal blue. I remember my Mom talking about the fact that her Dad sponsored The Shadow Knows, the radio show, and this link will give a chance to hear the show and the advertisement.

“Blue Coal was a distinctive form of anthracite coal, known for its high carbon content, smokeless burn, and short blue flame when ignited 

Wikipedia. In 1939, the Glen Alden Coal Company began spraying their anthracite with a blue dye to differentiate it from competitors and promote it as a superior, longer-burning, and more “healthful” fuel 

beyondthebreaker.com. This marketing strategy turned Blue Coal into a recognizable brand across the Northeastern United States.”

It is always interesting to get further insights into the world at that time, and the reach of the business man Fred Eastland.

According to Stats Canada, in 1951 the population of Niagara Falls was 22,874 but in 1958 it had grown to 23, 563.