The Charcoal Kilns of Death Valley

The charcoal kilns are located in Wildrose Canyon on the western side of Death Valley seven miles east of Emigrant Canyon road. The kilns, standing like 25 foot tall bee hives, made charcoal for the furnaces of the Modock Mine located in the Argus Mountains 25 miles to the west across the Panamint Valley. The Modock was started in 1875 and produced $2,000,000 in lead and silver. William Randolph Hearst’s son, Senator George Hearst, ran the mine through the Modock Consolidated Mining Company. Hearst’s company bought a large number of wood claims around the Wildrose area for a steady supply of wood.

 Building the kilns

The kilns were built by a Consolidated employee named Morris and were completed in 1877. It is said that Morris used Swiss stonemasons and Chinese laborers to complete the kilns. The ten kilns, 25 feet high and thirty feet across, were designed with a low doorway and a high window in the back. Around the base were small vent holes to allow just enough air for a slow burn.

Working the Kilns

Mexican laborers cut the surrounding pinyon pines and loaded the kilns from both the upper window as well as the front door. Each kiln could hold approximately 42 cords of pine logs and after filling each kiln a heavy iron door was used to cover the window and front door to reduce the available oxygen in order to retort or produce the charcoal. After burning for about one week, each kiln would produce 2,000 bushels of charcoal. Charcoal produced from wood keeps its basic shape but is converted to 96% pure carbon content. Charcoal was used in refining ores because it burned much more slowly and at much higher heat.

It is estimated that the kilns employed about 40 woodcutters and workmen and the temporary town of Wildrose camp was located somewhere nearby. Remi Nadeau’s Cerro Gordo Freight Company hauled the charcoal to the smelters by pack train and wagon. The silver mines of the Murdock lasted but a few years and the kilns soon closed down around 1879.

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