Birch Creek Charcoal Kilns facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Charcoal Kilns
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 Location in Idaho
Location in the United States
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| Nearest city | Leadore, Idaho |
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| Area | 6 acres (2.4 ha) |
| Architect | Warren King |
| NRHP reference No. | 72001577 |
| Added to NRHP | February 23, 1972 |
The Birch Creek Charcoal Kilns are old, beehive-shaped ovens made of clay. They are located near Leadore, Idaho. These special kilns were built in 1886. They were used to make something called charcoal. In 1972, these historic kilns were added to the National Register of Historic Places. This means they are important historical sites worth protecting.
Contents
What Are Charcoal Kilns?
Charcoal kilns are like big, enclosed ovens. They were used to turn wood into charcoal. Charcoal is a type of fuel that burns very hot and clean. It was very important for industries in the past.
Why Were These Kilns Built?
The Birch Creek Charcoal Kilns were built for a specific reason. They made charcoal to power a smelter in a nearby town called Nicholia. A smelter is a factory that melts down ore (rock containing valuable metals) to get metals like lead and silver.
The smelter at Nicholia processed ore from the Viola Mine. This mine was about 10 miles away. The Viola Mine was discovered in 1881. It produced lead and silver until 1888. By then, most of the valuable ore was gone. Also, the price of lead had dropped. This meant the mine and smelter were no longer profitable.
How the Kilns Were Made and Used
A man named Warren King from Butte, Montana, built these kilns. He constructed 16 of them using bricks. These bricks were made from local clay, possibly from a place called Jump Creek.
Design and Size
Each kiln was shaped like a beehive. They were quite large, about 20 feet (6 meters) tall. They were also about 20 feet (6 meters) wide. This big size allowed them to hold a lot of wood.
Making Charcoal
When a kiln was working, it used a lot of wood. Each time, it would use 30 to 40 cords of Douglas fir wood. A cord is a large stack of wood. The wood would burn slowly inside the kiln for about two days. This process turned the wood into charcoal. Each burn produced about 1,500 to 2,000 bushels of charcoal. A bushel is a unit of measurement for dry goods.
Kiln Operations
The kilns were only in operation for less than three years. During their busiest time, they employed 150 to 200 people. These workers helped cut wood and operate the kilns. The kilns produced a huge amount of charcoal each month. They made an estimated 44,000 to 50,000 bushels of charcoal.
The Kilns Today
Today, only the ruins of four kilns remain. They are located within the Caribou-Targhee National Forest. The Forest Service manages the site. They have made it a public place where people can visit and learn.
Nearby Ghost Towns
The town of Nicholia, where the smelter was, is now a ghost town. Only a few old buildings are left. The town of Woodland, where the kiln workers lived, has no remains left at all.
Preservation Efforts
The Birch Creek Charcoal Kilns were first listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1972. In 1987, volunteers helped save one of the kilns from falling apart. The United States Forest Service also worked to restore the kilns in the year 2000. These efforts help protect these important historical structures for future generations.
