What was hydrogen gas used for in the past?

Answer 1

In the UK, in the days before North Sea gas, gasworks used to make what was called 'town gas' from coal and air. The products were coke (coal with tar and other things removed by the heat in the process) and this 'town gas' which consisted mainly of hydrogen. It was piped to houses to use in their gas cookers.

Problem was that there was also a significant amount of carbon monoxide in it as well (which was flammable, as was the hydrogen). But this made it dangerous to breath and many people committed suicide by putting their head in a gas oven without lighting it. To make it less of a problem the gasworks put in another gas which made it smell and so it was more likely that you'd know if there was a gas leak.