For much of the pre-industrial past, firewood was the most important source of heat for homes and businesses. Coal began to supplant wood from the late 1700s, propelled by growth in the industrial era. However, wood continued to be a source for hom
e heating, though greatly diminished in our region due the lower cost and convenience of electricity and natural gas. This March 12, 1937 photo by Richard Studios shows two men loading a Diamond T delivery truck with split firewood. The location was Aaberg’s Fuel & Transfer Company fuel yard located at 1415 Puyallup Avenue in Tacoma from which they delivered coal and wood to their customer base located throughout the greater Tacoma area. Their Puyallup Avenue site is still in use, but now known as Aaberg Tool & Equipment Rentals. Over the next several weeks, this column will examine the fuel delivery business developed by Herbert Johnson Jr. and operated under the Aaberg name. This photo number M602-2 comes courtesy of the Tacoma Public Library.
