Ogden Canyon—full of natural beauty and recreation—also contains abundant limestone. During the pioneer-era building boom, settlers needed reliable supplies for mortar and plaster. In 1865, James Moroni Thomas built this 25‑foot‑high limestone kiln.

Limestone was quarried nearby and hauled by wagon. Layers of wood and limestone were stacked into a burning chamber at the top. Once lit at the base, heat rose through the layers and transformed limestone into quicklime, which collected below.

The kiln helped many residents upgrade from mud and log cabins to stone and brick homes. It once produced an estimated 300 bushels of lime at a time, sold near the southwest corner of 24th Street and Grant Avenue.

As Portland cement became widely used, lime was needed less. Over time the kiln deteriorated. In the 1980s, the U.S. Forest Service “rediscovered” the site after finding artifacts such as a wagon axle.

Restoration began in 2003 with help from partners and small grants. A $30,000 R.A.M.P. grant accelerated the work, and the restoration was completed in 2008—celebrated with a fire lit in the finished kiln, the first in over 100 years.