Ward Charcoal Ovens - Ward, NV

My parents instilled in me at a very young age a passion for archaeology and ruins. At the time I resented my mom for dragging me all over Arizona looking at ancient indian ruins. I felt that if you'd seen one abandoned building you'd seen them all. I never understood the significance and history like I do today. Over the weekend I drove to Ward, Nevada which is just outside Ely. This is a really great place for a weekend getaway. Lots of camping spots, off roading, fishing, swimming, etc. You name it, they got it. I went because I heard about these old charcoal ovens out in the middle of nowhere and I just had to see them for myself. The ovens were built around 1876 to provide charcoal for two silver smelters in the area requiring approximately 30 - 50 bushels of charcoal to produce one ton of ore. As the railroad indusrty grew charcoal was replaced by coke which is made from coal. The sign in front of the ovens say it all - "The real worth of the old charcoal ovens is their historical function in reminding present day Americans of a now vanished industry, without which the great silver and lead bonanzas of the early West could not have been harvested." Through the years the ovens have also served as a hideout for stagecoach bandits and as shelter for stockmen and prosectors. There are also some very nice trails around the area with the nice natural sounds of creeks through the surrounding mountains. Definitely worth a detour if you are in the area.


Location: Ward St, Beatty, NV 89003, USA

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