Fall Creek Lime Kilns - Felton, CA
Posted by: 
DougK
N 37° 03.518 W 122° 05.828
10S E 580272 N 4101757
In the 1870s, IXL Company built three limekilns, producing nearly a third of the state’s lime supply. All around lie traces of what was once a bustling lime manufacturing center.
Waymark Code: WMF7FW
Location: California, United States
Date Posted: 09/05/2012
Views: 3
In the 1870s, IXL Company built three lime kilns, producing nearly a third of the state’s lime supply. Henry Cowell took over the business at the turn of the century and under his guidance much of the lime used in the cement necessary to rebuild San Francisco after the 1906 earthquake was produced at the Fall Creek works. Fall Creek redwoods were logged in order to construct redwood barrels for storing lime and for logs to fire the limekilns.
In the early 1890s the company employed about 40 men. Twenty worked the quarry and kilns, while others felled trees, made barrels, or drove wagons. In later years 15 to 17 men were employed.
During much of the 1800s Santa Cruz County led the State in the manufacture of lime. It was mainly shipped to San Francisco where it was used to make mortar for brick buildings.
To make lime, limestone was first blasted out of the neighboring hillsides. The limestone was then broken into chunks, each about the size of a man's head. To load the kiln, the chunks of limestone were stacked to form arches 4 to 5 feet high and from the front wall to rear walls. This creates a chamber for fuel and supported the rest of the load. After the arches were completed, the kiln was stacked to the top with limestone.
These chunks of limestone were "cooked" in the kilns at about 1,700 degrees Fahrenheit. This removed carbon dioxide from the rock, leaving behind calcium oxide or lime. Two men, working 12-hour shifts, kept the fire going 24 hours per day for 3 to 4 days. A single firing consumed 70 cords of redwood.
It took about 2 days for the kiln to cool enough, so that lime could be unloaded and packed in barrels. Each barrel weighed about 250 pounds when filled. Horse-drawn wagons, each holding fifty barrels, delivered the product to the train depot in Felton. -- from the nearby kiosk
These kilns are located in the Fall Creek Unit of Henry Cowell Redwoods State Park. Access to the kilns is via the Fall Creek and South Fork Trails from the Bennett Creek Trailhead. It's 1.2 miles from the trailhead / parking lot.
Today all that remains are these quiet ruins, softened by mosses and ferns.