When I first stumbled upon these great marvels of the past, I couldn’t believe my eyes. The Coke Ovens were awkward against the mountainous landscape. As we traveled closer I was was taken back as the ovens themselves were carved from stone with remarkable detail. The thermal engineering for proper functionality is clearly amazing. Route finding in this area is complex, an Off Road Trail Guide and Off Road GPS are strongly recommended.
The Coke Ovens are remnants of the large mining operations in the Mineral Mountain Range that prospered in the late 1800’s and early 1900’s. These ovens were created for the produced Coke. Coke is a fuel that burns at extremely high temperatures. This was – and still is today - an ideal product to use in the smelter process.
The Coke Ovens are ideally located just south of the Mineral Mountain area. This location was perfect for three primary reasons. First, they were close enough to feed the demands of the mines throughout the Mineral Mountain Range - such as the Woodpecker, Orphan Boy, Silver Belle, Ajax, Martinez and other mines. Second, they are located just north of the Gila river which supplied the ovens with an abundance mesquite which is a key ingredient for making coal. Lastly, they are located about a mile north of the ghost town of Cochran. Cochran provided an assay office for ore testing, a post office, and a central railroad stop.
The volatile components from the mesquite coal such as water, coal-gas, and coal-tar are driven off by baking the mixture in the airless Coke Ovens at temperatures as high as 3632 degrees. This, in turn, created the white powder substance called coke.
History of Coke: In 1709, an iron master, Abraham Darby I, succeeded in producing cast iron using coal. He discovered a process whereby coal was first turned into coke. When coal is turned into coke most of the sulfur is lost as sulfurous gases. The coke could then be used in the smelting process to produce iron and other metals. - saburchill.com
The most scenic trail to the Coke Ovens is via Highway 79 off the US 60 through Box Canyon. The header photo on ArizonaTrailways.com is just a sample of the desert views you will come across on this trail.
A faster but less scenic route you may take to reach the Coke Ovens is by crossing the Gila River. However the sometimes fast moving current and high water level can create a dangerous situation.
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(View the entire photo album of the Coke Ovens)
Posted
Jun 26 2008, 08:44 PM
by
ryangibson