The wood was turned into charcoal in these kilns. Then hauled to Stevens wharf east of here on Owens Lake. There it was put on the steamer the "Bessie Brady", or the "Mollie Stevens", and hauled directly across the lake. From there wagons took it up the Yellow Grade to the Cerro Gordo mine, high in the Inyo mountains above Keeler. M. W. Belshaw's furnace had used all available wood around the Cerro Gordo and this charcoal was necessary to continue production.

The bullion which was then taken out by the reverse of this route and hauled to Los Angeles on Remi Nadeau's freight wagons and played a major part in the building of that little Pueblo into the city of today.
The sign has been moved from the kilns out to the hi-way where you turn off. There is a sign saying, Cottonwood Charcoal Kilns. It is on the west side of Owens lake on 395.