Asphaltum, Indiana
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Asphaltum | |
  Asphaltum
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| Coordinates: | |
|---|---|
| Country | United States |
| State | Indiana |
| County | Jasper |
| Township | Gillam |
| Elevation [1] | 689 ft (210 m) |
| ZIP code | 46392 |
| FIPS code | 18-02512[2] |
| GNIS feature ID | 430316 |
Asphaltum is an unincorporated community in Gillam Township, Jasper County, Indiana.
[edit] Geography
Asphaltum is located at .
[edit] History
Asphaltum is no more. It was platted by B. F. Rouse in 1901 at the peak of an oil boom in the area. It is approximately one mile north and six miles east of Medaryville.
A refinery was built there by the American Lubricating and Refining Company and operated for a short time. The oil wells which led to the town's creation were fed by shallow deposits that soon failed to yield after hundreds of wells were put down in the area. The crude oil given up by these wells was sulphurous and of low quality.
There is no visible sign of the town's existence today, although local lore has it that there are some abandoned tanks behind a house in the vicinity, left after one of the periodic attempts by speculators to re-vitalize the field. There is a small-gauge oil well which once had a short stone base, in the yard of a house which sits directly east of the former town site.
[edit] References
- ^ US Board on Geographic Names. United States Geological Survey (2007-10-25). Retrieved on 2008-01-31.
- ^ American FactFinder. United States Census Bureau. Retrieved on 2008-01-31.
