Do You Know This Building?
Answers: 1.c) southeast of Greystone; 2.c) 1898; 3.c) charcoal kilns Located in a remote area southeast of Greystone, these are the only remaining intact structures associated with copper mining in Moffat County’s Douglas Mountain Mining District. A Welshman supposedly first noted local copper deposits in 1882. A small but very rich body of copper ore was discovered and mined most intensively in the late 1890s through World War I, when copper prices were high. Freighting ore to the nearest railroad in Rock Springs, Wyoming, approximately 90 miles away, was expensive. Consequently the Bromide Mining and Milling Company erected a smelter facility six miles from the mines. The smelting operation included a 15-ton copper blast furnace that operated 24 hours a day. These four kilns were built in 1898 to supply charcoal for the furnace. Constructed of native sandstone, the “beehive” or dome-shaped kilns are approximately 20 feet in diameter and 20 feet high. Encircling the base of each kiln are small vent openings. The kilns are aligned backing onto a low rise of land, which facilitated access to their rear openings. Copper can be processed in the same way as iron or lead, using charcoal and coke to create an atmosphere for the reduction of oxide ores. Generally smelting operations in Colorado used the combination of charcoal and coke in early blast furnaces in order to generate the heat necessary to separate the various metals within the primary ore. By the 1890s, the increasing availability of suitable coke lessened the need for charcoal. However, the demand for locally produced charcoal continued in remote locations of some operations into the 20th century. Charcoal kilns were typically constructed of brick or native stone laid so as to form a dome, reaching a height of 20 to 30 feet and measuring 20 to 27 feet in diameter. The process of producing charcoal began with the cutting of local trees, in this case, pinon pine. The kiln was filled with loosely stacked wood, and hot coals were placed around the base. The loading doors were closed and sealed with mortar. Each vent opening around the base was usually filled with a brick, which was removed as needed to regulate the oxygen flow so that the wood would smolder without bursting into flames. After smoldering for approximately one week, another four or five days were required for cooling. It is interesting to note that signs along the county road as
well as topographical maps have long incorrectly identified the
kilns as coke ovens. Believed to be the last set of charcoal
kilns constructed in Colorado, the well-preserved Bromide Charcoal
Kilns are listed in the National Register of Historic Places |
