Yes, back then! My grandma said that in Minnesota winters, the kids all put a big rock in the fireplace (like the size of a football, in the evening, and when it was time to go to bed, they would wrap the hot rock in a towel or blanket and take it to bed with them.
But that was when there was no 'lectricity.
Heh...we used to do that, back when we had the old wood stove. Thing didn't heat worth a darn...there would occasionally be ice in the toilet and the bedrooms were NOT toasty. I think my folks just figured that's how woodstoves heated...until they got the new one. That thing puts out a LOT of heat, and though it's still colder upstairs than down, it isn't as bad as it was.
At the old house Myranda and I would each keep a brick on the space heater and when it was time for bed we wrapped it in a towel and put at the foot of the bed. And that was *with* the electric blankets!
Silly of me I know but sometimes I kinda miss that. Even though the heat stays on in the house here it was kinda cozy having that nice footwarmer. I wouldn't trade wanna *have* to do that again though!