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The Ward Charcoal Kilns were built by Swiss/Italian masons in about 1876 to produce charcoal for use in refining silver from the nearby mines. They were in production for about three years. There are six kilns in a row. Each of them is 30 feet high and 27 feet in diameter at the base. Each kiln would hold about 35 cords of wood and would produce about 1,000 bushels of charcoal. The charcoal, which burns hotter than wood, was then used to fire the silver roasting smelters in the nearby town of Ward. When railroads arrived, coke (made from coal) replaced charcoal in the processing of silver ore and the kilns were abandoned.
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