While there is not much information concerning these kilns, the Dorchester Reporter Newspaper dated September 26, 1902 states:
In 1889 The Ashland Iron and Steel Company erected eight coal kilns one mile south of town and a few years later erected two more. This industry has proved a valuable help to the people of Dorchester and immediate vicinity; giving them a market for their wood. About 150,000 cords of wood have been consumed at these kilns.
Dorchester’s prospects are indeed bright. Here the farmer finds a market for all he can produce. The coal kilns have taken all the wood the farmers could produce and have been the means of putting thousands of dollars in circulation in this vicinity.
The charcoal kilns were located in the Town of Mayville; a part of the Northwest of the Southwest and part of the Southwest of the Southwest of Section 13 Township 29 North Range 1 East. This area is located right at the edge of the Dorchester village limits; directly east from the cemetery one quarter mile and 500 feet south along the west edge of the railroad tracks. They were in operation from 1889 to 1902 and the property today is owned by Ron and Helen Busse. There are still bricks lying on the ground near the east part of the plowed field adjacent to the railroad track.
Ashland Steel acquired the property on December 20, 1888 from Herman Schultz and they retained ownership to the property until they Quit Claimed their rights to Dr. H.M. Nedry on August 14, 1902. The interesting thing about charcoal is that it burns a lot hotter than wood which is necessary to melt iron ore at a temperature of 2000 degrees. This is important because it takes 2000 degrees to remove the impurities that exist in iron ore and removing the impurities at that temperature produces steel which is multiple times stronger than iron.