I drove to a point a bit south of the town of Leadore, ID and about five miles west of Hwy 28 to see a bit of Idaho mining history.
These four beehive-shaped kilns are all that are left of the original sixteen. Each one is twenty feet tall and has plastered brick walls nearly a foot thick. They were built in 1885 and 1886 and used to create charcoal for the Nicholia Smelter across the valley.
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| The Four Remaining Charcoal Kilns |
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| Soot Covered Interior of a Charcoal Kiln |
The smelter processed lead and silver ore for the Viola Mine as well as other mines. They discontinued operating the kilns in 1888 when the best ore played out and they shut down the Viola Mine and its nearby smelter. Low prices for lead and silver afterwards prevented the smelter and consequently the kilns from reopening.
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| Charcoal Kiln with Missing Top |
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| Preservation Work in Progress |
One has to wonder how many trees were cut down during those few years to produce the charcoal. And after being used for such a short time, I find it interesting that four of the kilns have survived another 136 years.
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| View from Charcoal Kilns |
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| Mountains on Western Edge of Birch Creek Valley |
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