Our Board of Supervisors recently placed the H.T. Holmes Company Lime Kiln in Colfax onto the county’s historic registry. Local geologist Jim Wood re-discovered the kiln, built in 1903, after the 2021 River Fire burned thick brush and blackberry vines that covered it. Now, he has a goal to build a historic trail. Limestone from the Colfax quarry was used in major construction projects such as the United States Mint building in San Francisco, and some decorative pieces on the historic Placer County Courthouse. The kiln was used to burn down quarry stones into lime, which is used in construction materials, paint and many other uses.