The Piedmont Charcoal Kilns in

Piedmont it, Piemontese , population_note = , population_blank1_title = , population_blank1 = , demographics_type1 = , demographics1_footnotes = , demographics1_title1 = , demographics1_info1 = , demographics1_title2 ...

Wyoming Wyoming () is a U.S. state, state in the Mountain states, Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. It is bordered by Montana to the north and northwest, South Dakota and Nebraska to the east, Idaho to the west, Utah to the south ...

, are a remnant of a once-extensive charcoal-making industry in southwestern

. The kilns were built by Moses Byrne around 1869 near the Piedmont Station along the

Union Pacific Railroad The Union Pacific Railroad , legally Union Pacific Railroad Company and often called simply Union Pacific, is a freight-hauling railroad that operates 8,300 locomotives over routes in 23 U.S. states west of Chicago and New Orleans. Union Paci ...

. The three surviving beehive-shaped kilns were built of local sandstone about in circumference and about high, with walls. A granite marker reads: Moses Byrne settled in Piedmont about 1867. A builder, Byrne had built a number of

Pony Express The Pony Express was an American express mail service that used relays of horse-mounted riders. It operated from April 3, 1860, to October 26, 1861, between Missouri and California. It was operated by the Central Overland California and Pik ...

stations and stables. Byrne built five kilns at Piedmont in 1869. Most of Byrne's

charcoal Charcoal is a lightweight black carbon residue produced by strongly heating wood (or other animal and plant materials) in minimal oxygen to remove all water and volatile constituents. In the traditional version of this pyrolysis process, cal ...

was shipped to the area around

Salt Lake City Salt Lake City (often shortened to Salt Lake and abbreviated as SLC) is the Capital (political), capital and List of cities and towns in Utah, most populous city of Utah, United States. It is the county seat, seat of Salt Lake County, Utah, Sal ...

(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(s) or Ghosttown may refer to: * Ghost town, a town that has been abandoned Film and television * Ghost Town (1936 film), ''Ghost Town'' (1936 film), an American Western film by Harry L. Fraser * Ghost Town (1956 film), ''Ghost Town'' ...

. The Piedmont Charcoal Kilns were listed on the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic v ...

in 1971. They are managed by the state of Wyoming as Piedmont Charcoal Kilns State Historic Site.

References

External links

Piedmont Charcoal Kilns State Historic Site
Wyoming State Parks, Historic Sites & Trails
Piedmont Charcoal Kilns
Wyoming State Historic Preservation Office * {{Protected areas of Wyoming History of Wyoming Buildings and structures in Uinta County, Wyoming Industrial buildings and structures on the National Register of Historic Places in Wyoming Wyoming state historic sites Pre-statehood history of Wyoming Kilns Charcoal Tourist attractions in Uinta County, Wyoming National Register of Historic Places in Uinta County, Wyoming IUCN Category III 1869 establishments in Wyoming Territory Buildings and structures completed in 1869