Dry Kilns, Old & New
The DRY KILNS were necessary to transform the lumber from its green (or wet) condition into a low-moisture-content product for sales and economical transport. The kilns enabled the management of controlled conditions of heat and stream to remove the excess moisture and produce quality, straight lumber.
The OLD KILN along the sawmill side of the trail system is one of the few structures existing since the 20's, and is the single, very old reference point in the immediate area, against which other changes can be compared and documented.
In the OLD KILN, pine lumber was dried to the desired moisture content in less than 72 hours. It had a capacity of 300,000 board feet; that is about 35 truckloads of finished lumber could be dried every 72 hours. Lumber was conditioned on the upper level as an updraft of steam from below.
The NEW KILN which is along the kiln loop, and had about the same capacity, with the steaming process being the opposite, with the flow from above to the lumber below. It was not quite as efficient as the older unit, thus requiring a longer drying period.