About:
The Piedmont Kilns are located in Southwest Wyoming approximately ten miles off of I-80 (exit 24, Leroy Road). The Union Pacific railroad ran through Piedmont and carried most of the charcoal produced by the kilns to Utah. The site includes three and one-half charcoal kilns, four interpretive signs and two picnic tables.
History of Piedmont Kilns:
- The Piedmont Charcoal Kilns were built by Moses Byrne in 1869 to supply charcoal for the iron smelting industry in Utah. These conical limestone kilns measure 30 feet across and 30 feet high. Only three of the original 4 kilns remain.
- Wood burned in the kilns came from the nearby Uinta Mountains. It was estimated that during 1873 the kilns could produce 100,000 bushels of charcoal. Most of the charcoal was sent to Utah on the UP railroad.
- The ghost town of Piedmont and the Byrne family cemetery are nearby.
