Pahrump

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Atlas ObscuraMay 12, 2026

Wheeler Kilns in Pahrump, Nevada

Smelting of metal ores requires carbon and high temperature to produce molten metal. Traditional smelting used charcoal, a carbon product made from widely available wood. Unsurprisingly, therefore, charcoal was used widely for smelting in the early days of mining in the American West, because transportation was primitive while scrub vegetation and forests were abundant. Because of this charcoal…

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