IMG_2582

Designed by Swiss engineers and built by Chinese laborers in 1879, these kilns produced charcoal for the Modock mine smelter, about 30 miles away. The kilns closed only 3 years of use. Workers filled the airtight kiln with pinyon pine logs - relatively abundant in the area - and fired them. The burning, which reduced the wood to charcoal, took 6 to 8 days. Cooling took another 5 days. Wagons then hauled the charcoal to the Modock mine smelter where it was used to extract silver and lead from the rich ore from Modock's mine.