Looking at the six cone-shaped structures located in the American State Historical Park Ward, you will not immediately guess their purpose. However, they are one of the most famous local attractions and represent the charcoal kilns, which a century and a half ago provided the necessary resources for the extraction of silver. But after the end of direct operation, their history did not end, because before becoming a famous tourist site in the territory of the historical park, they managed to become a lodging for a traveler and even a haven for robbers.
These extraordinary structures are located in the United States, in the state of Nevada, on the territory of the Ward National Historical Park. And a century and a half ago, on the site of a state-protected zone, there was a city of the same name, whose population was about one and a half thousand people. There was also information about the infrastructure that was available to its residents - there was a post office, a school and even a brewery with pubs. And the settlement got its name in honor of Thomas Ward, who discovered deposits of silver-rich ore in this area.
True, the city did not last long: when in 1883 a large-scale fire wiped out a third of the Ward from the face of the earth, no one began to restore it. And four years later, he was completely abandoned. However, in the first years of its existence, it developed quite actively, largely due to the deposit being developed there for the extraction of silver. Therefore, at some point, additional resources were required. In particular, charcoal was in constant demand. And precisely in order not to waste time and money on logistics, they decided to produce the much-needed raw materials on site, having built the very six charcoal kilns.
Not much is known about the operation of the Ward ovens, but it can be said for sure that they worked for at least three years - from 1876 to 1879. Basically, pines and junipers served as the material for burning, and, at that time, it seemed that they were growing in sufficient quantities nearby. True, it quickly became clear that there were too few trees to operate the structures for a long time in their original designation.
Today, the interest of ordinary people is attracted by the shape and dimensions of the stoves: for example, according to the Novate.ru editorial office, their height is almost ten meters, the diameter at the base is 8 meters, the thickness of the walls is about 60 centimeters. However, they are no less popular with tourists and their further history after the city fell into decay - in fact, they turned into full-fledged houses. It is difficult to say whether the citizens of Ward lived there directly, but it is known for certain that after the city was abandoned, random travelers, as well as robbers and adventurers, who did not disdain them as a transit point, gladly used them as lodging for the night.
Later, in the twentieth century, the former territory of the city of Ward became a private leased area that was used by farmers as pasture for their livestock. By the way, the temporary owners did not allow themselves to damage or destroy the unique structures. And charcoal kilns happily survived until the hour when they became officially protected by the state - in 1968 the last lease expired, and soon this area became the site of the opening of the historic Ward Charcoal Ovens park.
Today, the former charcoal kilns are the main attraction of the park, which tourists are happy to see. Next to them there is a camping site where you can stay. In addition, in the park you can have a picnic or go fishing in the small rivers that flow nearby. But hunting for the local fauna is prohibited, so all the local wild animals - deer, moose, foxes and coyotes - are not afraid of people, and you can easily see them.
As for the stoves themselves, they can be viewed not only from the outside, but also from the inside, but climbing and climbing up on them is not allowed - this can cause damage to historical buildings that are already one and a half hundred years old. But you can admire them without restrictions, and they look especially impressive in the dark, because then a special illumination is lit inside Ward's ovens, which imitates a flame. So tourists will always remember what the original purpose of these six interesting structures was.
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