An essential element of human survival is staying warm when temperatures drop. The earliest version of a furnace in American civilization was the hearth fire. Wood was plentiful in the deciduous forests of the early settlers. However, keeping the fires lit was a full-time job, and chopping firewood was a backbreaking task. Also, the hearth fire was dangerous. By the end of the 18th century, household furnaces were still fueled by wood, but the wood was chopped up and burned in an enclosed stove. This required less supervision and was much safer. The Evolving Nature of Furnaces The first evolutionary
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