Historical Markers of White Pine County
Location: Eastern White Pine, Steptoe Valley Directions: Located at Ward Charcoal Ovens SHP, 18 miles south of Ely
N39° 02' 14.5" W114° 50' 46.6"
Date Conquered: 3/13/08 Quick Description: A unique marker noting the smelting process in a typical Nevada mining camp. Signed: No -- Historically, this marker was never signed NOTES: To conquer #184, hunters are invited to a pleasant detour away from the pavement. To obtain this last marker, make the drive to Ward Charcoal Ovens State Park, 11 miles west of the highway (US 6/50/93). If you plan to stay, there is a very nice campground with facilities on the rear side of the park for a nomimal fee. Compared to nearby Cave Lake, you will almost always find seclusion at the Ward Ovens campgrounds. Full Description: Exact description as reads ... These ovens were constructed during the mid 1870's and are larger and of finer construction than most other ovens found in Nevada. They are 27 feet in diameter and 30 feet high with a capacity of about 35 cords of wood which was burned for a period of 12 days to produce about 50 bushels of good, solid charcoal per cord. The charcoal was used in the smelters at nearby Ward, about 30 to 50 bushels being required to reduce one ton of ore. Each filling of one of these ovens required the total tree crop from five or six acres of land. During the late 1870's the hills and mountains around many mining camps were completely stripped of all timber for a radius of up to 35 miles. As railroads penetrated the West, charcoal was replaced by coke made from coal and the charcoal industry faded. "The real worth of the old charcoal ovens is their historical function in reminding present Americans of a now-vanished industry, without which the great silver and lead bonanzas of the early West could not have been harvested." --Nell Murbarger. Spanning the snowy b.g. is the Egan Range. The Egans are popular with hunters, a range that offers perfect camping, except on a chilly day like this! White Pine County Conquered! Kudos to another county well done!
NOTES: To conquer #184, hunters are invited to a pleasant detour away from the pavement. To obtain this last marker, make the drive to Ward Charcoal Ovens State Park, 11 miles west of the highway (US 6/50/93). If you plan to stay, there is a very nice campground with facilities on the rear side of the park for a nomimal fee. Compared to nearby Cave Lake, you will almost always find seclusion at the Ward Ovens campgrounds. Full Description: Exact description as reads ... These ovens were constructed during the mid 1870's and are larger and of finer construction than most other ovens found in Nevada. They are 27 feet in diameter and 30 feet high with a capacity of about 35 cords of wood which was burned for a period of 12 days to produce about 50 bushels of good, solid charcoal per cord. The charcoal was used in the smelters at nearby Ward, about 30 to 50 bushels being required to reduce one ton of ore. Each filling of one of these ovens required the total tree crop from five or six acres of land. During the late 1870's the hills and mountains around many mining camps were completely stripped of all timber for a radius of up to 35 miles. As railroads penetrated the West, charcoal was replaced by coke made from coal and the charcoal industry faded. "The real worth of the old charcoal ovens is their historical function in reminding present Americans of a now-vanished industry, without which the great silver and lead bonanzas of the early West could not have been harvested." --Nell Murbarger. Spanning the snowy b.g. is the Egan Range. The Egans are popular with hunters, a range that offers perfect camping, except on a chilly day like this! White Pine County Conquered! Kudos to another county well done!
Full Description: Exact description as reads ... These ovens were constructed during the mid 1870's and are larger and of finer construction than most other ovens found in Nevada. They are 27 feet in diameter and 30 feet high with a capacity of about 35 cords of wood which was burned for a period of 12 days to produce about 50 bushels of good, solid charcoal per cord. The charcoal was used in the smelters at nearby Ward, about 30 to 50 bushels being required to reduce one ton of ore. Each filling of one of these ovens required the total tree crop from five or six acres of land. During the late 1870's the hills and mountains around many mining camps were completely stripped of all timber for a radius of up to 35 miles. As railroads penetrated the West, charcoal was replaced by coke made from coal and the charcoal industry faded. "The real worth of the old charcoal ovens is their historical function in reminding present Americans of a now-vanished industry, without which the great silver and lead bonanzas of the early West could not have been harvested." --Nell Murbarger. Spanning the snowy b.g. is the Egan Range. The Egans are popular with hunters, a range that offers perfect camping, except on a chilly day like this! White Pine County Conquered! Kudos to another county well done!
These ovens were constructed during the mid 1870's and are larger and of finer construction than most other ovens found in Nevada. They are 27 feet in diameter and 30 feet high with a capacity of about 35 cords of wood which was burned for a period of 12 days to produce about 50 bushels of good, solid charcoal per cord. The charcoal was used in the smelters at nearby Ward, about 30 to 50 bushels being required to reduce one ton of ore. Each filling of one of these ovens required the total tree crop from five or six acres of land. During the late 1870's the hills and mountains around many mining camps were completely stripped of all timber for a radius of up to 35 miles. As railroads penetrated the West, charcoal was replaced by coke made from coal and the charcoal industry faded. "The real worth of the old charcoal ovens is their historical function in reminding present Americans of a now-vanished industry, without which the great silver and lead bonanzas of the early West could not have been harvested." --Nell Murbarger. Spanning the snowy b.g. is the Egan Range. The Egans are popular with hunters, a range that offers perfect camping, except on a chilly day like this! White Pine County Conquered! Kudos to another county well done!
The charcoal was used in the smelters at nearby Ward, about 30 to 50 bushels being required to reduce one ton of ore. Each filling of one of these ovens required the total tree crop from five or six acres of land. During the late 1870's the hills and mountains around many mining camps were completely stripped of all timber for a radius of up to 35 miles. As railroads penetrated the West, charcoal was replaced by coke made from coal and the charcoal industry faded. "The real worth of the old charcoal ovens is their historical function in reminding present Americans of a now-vanished industry, without which the great silver and lead bonanzas of the early West could not have been harvested." --Nell Murbarger. Spanning the snowy b.g. is the Egan Range. The Egans are popular with hunters, a range that offers perfect camping, except on a chilly day like this! White Pine County Conquered! Kudos to another county well done!
Each filling of one of these ovens required the total tree crop from five or six acres of land. During the late 1870's the hills and mountains around many mining camps were completely stripped of all timber for a radius of up to 35 miles. As railroads penetrated the West, charcoal was replaced by coke made from coal and the charcoal industry faded. "The real worth of the old charcoal ovens is their historical function in reminding present Americans of a now-vanished industry, without which the great silver and lead bonanzas of the early West could not have been harvested." --Nell Murbarger. Spanning the snowy b.g. is the Egan Range. The Egans are popular with hunters, a range that offers perfect camping, except on a chilly day like this! White Pine County Conquered! Kudos to another county well done!
As railroads penetrated the West, charcoal was replaced by coke made from coal and the charcoal industry faded. "The real worth of the old charcoal ovens is their historical function in reminding present Americans of a now-vanished industry, without which the great silver and lead bonanzas of the early West could not have been harvested." --Nell Murbarger. Spanning the snowy b.g. is the Egan Range. The Egans are popular with hunters, a range that offers perfect camping, except on a chilly day like this! White Pine County Conquered! Kudos to another county well done!
"The real worth of the old charcoal ovens is their historical function in reminding present Americans of a now-vanished industry, without which the great silver and lead bonanzas of the early West could not have been harvested." --Nell Murbarger. Spanning the snowy b.g. is the Egan Range. The Egans are popular with hunters, a range that offers perfect camping, except on a chilly day like this! White Pine County Conquered! Kudos to another county well done!
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