Part 10/14:
Fuel Transitions: From Coal to Natural Gas and Oil
Initially, coal was the dominant fuel—its use reaching a peak around 1885, when it became the primary household heating source due to affordability and availability. However, the century saw a shift toward cleaner, more convenient fuels: natural gas and oil.
Alice H. Parker, an African American inventor, filed a patent in 1919 for a gas-fired forced-air furnace, a system that laid the groundwork for the modern natural gas central heating systems we use today. By the mid-20th century, natural gas became the preferred fuel, thanks to an expanding pipeline network.