Piedmont Charcoal Kilns
Encyclopedia
The Piedmont Charcoal Kilns in Piedmont, Wyoming
are a remnant of a once-extensive charcoal-making industry in southwestern Wyoming
. The kilns were built by Moses Byrne around 1869 near the Piedmont Station along the Union Pacific Railroad
. The three surviving beehive-shaped kilns were built of local sandstone about 30 feet (9.1 m) in circumference and about 30 feet (9.1 m) high, with 24 inch-thick walls. A granite marker reads "Charcoal Kilns were built by Moses Byrne, 1869, to supply the pioneer smelters in the Utah Valley"
Moses Byrne had settled in Piedmont about 1867. A builder, Byrne had built a number of Pony Express
stations and stables. Byrne built five kilns at Piedmont in 1869. Most of Byrne's charcoal
was shipped to the area around Salt Lake City (the Utah Valley) for use in small smelters and blacksmith shops. Two kilns have since been destroyed. Piedmont itself is a ghost town
.
The Piedmont Charcoal Kilns were listed on the National Register of Historic Places
in 1971.
Piedmont, Wyoming
Piedmont is a ghost town located in Uinta County, Wyoming. It was once a thriving small railroad and timber town, but started to decline when Union Pacific opened a new line that bypassed the town.- Geography :...
are a remnant of a once-extensive charcoal-making industry in southwestern Wyoming
Wyoming
Wyoming is a state in the mountain region of the Western United States. The western two thirds of the state is covered mostly with the mountain ranges and rangelands in the foothills of the Eastern Rocky Mountains, while the eastern third of the state is high elevation prairie known as the High...
. The kilns were built by Moses Byrne around 1869 near the Piedmont Station along the Union Pacific Railroad
Union Pacific Railroad
The Union Pacific Railroad , headquartered in Omaha, Nebraska, is the largest railroad network in the United States. James R. Young is president, CEO and Chairman....
. The three surviving beehive-shaped kilns were built of local sandstone about 30 feet (9.1 m) in circumference and about 30 feet (9.1 m) high, with 24 inch-thick walls. A granite marker reads "Charcoal Kilns were built by Moses Byrne, 1869, to supply the pioneer smelters in the Utah Valley"
Moses Byrne had settled in Piedmont about 1867. A builder, Byrne had built a number of Pony Express
Pony Express
The Pony Express was a fast mail service crossing the Great Plains, the Rocky Mountains, and the High Sierra from St. Joseph, Missouri, to Sacramento, California, from April 3, 1860 to October 1861...
stations and stables. Byrne built five kilns at Piedmont in 1869. Most of Byrne's charcoal
Charcoal
Charcoal is the dark grey residue consisting of carbon, and any remaining ash, obtained by removing water and other volatile constituents from animal and vegetation substances. Charcoal is usually produced by slow pyrolysis, the heating of wood or other substances in the absence of oxygen...
was shipped to the area around Salt Lake City (the Utah Valley) for use in small smelters and blacksmith shops. Two kilns have since been destroyed. Piedmont itself is a ghost town
Ghost town
A ghost town is an abandoned town or city. A town often becomes a ghost town because the economic activity that supported it has failed, or due to natural or human-caused disasters such as floods, government actions, uncontrolled lawlessness, war, or nuclear disasters...
.
The Piedmont Charcoal Kilns were listed on the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
in 1971.
External links
- Piedmont Charcoal Kilns at the Wyoming State Historic Preservation Office