Floorplans for Gilded Age Mansions.

[ardecila]

Yes and no. Rural dwellers (and at this time most Americans lived in rural areas) could simply chop wood as winter fuel, but city dwellers were reliant on coal and later gas. Both of these urban fuels were managed and distributed by private companies, often with monopoly power and deep-rooted corruption. It was definitely a challenge for poor families to afford winter fuel; today utilities have assistance for low-income customers but that was unheard-of 100 years ago.