Ward Charcoal Ovens State Park

Nearest town: Ely, Nevada 20 miles.
Location: Southeast on U.S. Hwys 6, 50 & 93 to sign then west 5 miles on well-maintained gravel road to State Park.
Cost: $3 day-use fee. Self-pay.

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Willow Creek, a year-round stream, flows from Willow Mountain out of the Egan mountain range. This became a major stopover for freighters on the Toano to Pioche route from 1870 to 1876. "Bullwhackers" (common term for freighters) would turn out their "sleepers" (tired oxen) in this area and pick up rested ones to complete their journey.

In March 1872, while searching for sleepers, John Henry and William Ballinger discovered silver ore in nearby Ward Gulch. By 1876 several claims were staked and the town of Ward grew to a population of 1,500 and had two roasting furnaces to process ore.

Six charcoal ovens were built in the mid- 1870s to make charcoal to to fuel Ward's roasting furnaces.

The ovens were constructed by Italian masons (see Ely mural) and are larger and of finer construction than most ovens found in Nevada. They measure 30-feet in height, 27-feet in diameter at the base and hold approx. 35 cords of wood. Each cord of wood produced 30 bushels of charcoal that was then hauled to the roasting furnaces at Ward.

The ovens were constructed using rock called welded ash flow tuff, which remained in this area after volcanic eruptions some 20 million years ago. This rock is soft enough to be easily quarried and cut into blocks. Because it was formed from igneous rock, it withstood the high temperatures produced by burning 30 cords of wood at one time. Limestone cracks when it is heated, but when it is heated, then crushed and mixed with water, it forms a mortar which was used to hold the tuff blocks together. A small kiln was built for this purpose -- the remains of which can be seen just west of the six charcoal ovens.

As railroads penetrated the West, charcoal was replaced by coke made from coal and the charcoal making industry faded away. These ovens remain as a unique and silent reminder of Nevada's mining history.

Note: Note: To help prevent damage to the ovens, please don't climb on them. Black soot still covers everything, so don't wear white!

Source: Ward Charcoal Ovens State Park Interpretive Site.