February 2012
Station Of The Month
MP CWI 0.0 Hf
Dearborn Station, Chicago
Photo: Dearborn Station, pre 1922
| DOTM Archive | Inside A Depot | Surviving Monon Depots |
- Robert Wheeler -
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Monon View From The Cab Clearing Yard, South Chicago |
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Drawing Of The Month 1956 Plan, Delphi, IN | Drawing Archives | |
Lafayette Shops POTM Lafayette Shops Office | Shops Archive | |
Location Of The Month
Chicago and Wabash Valley
Postcard of the refinery of the American Lubricating and Refining Company, which was erected circa 1900 at Asphaltum. The oil in the area was of poor quality, and heavy drilling soon depleted the supply. The refinery was only open a few years. The company was chartered in 1904 as Indian Asphalt Company incorporates under the laws of the State of Maine. (While not recorded, it is speculated that the name "Indian" is an allusion to Indiana - meaning land or place "of Indians".) Indian Asphalt would later become part of Texcao. -Courtesy Brian Capouch-
Brick from the old refinery were used to build a series of houses on the county road a mile or so south of Asphaltum. At one time there 4-5 brick houses. Only one still remains. -Brian Capouch Photograph-
The once thriving community of Asphaltum? The name comes from the oil boom in the area about the start of the 1900's. A tenant farmer named Swisher was unsuccessful digging a water well and struck oil. The well produced 10 barrels a day. There was a post office here between 1901 and 1915. At one time there may have been 100 shallow wells in the area. The town was mapped out in 1909 (see above). Gifford built a refinery here. The line was abandoned prior to acquisition by the Monon. It never became part of the Monon system. Intersection of County Roads 250E and 600N. The C&WV ran a spur to this location when oil was discovered here. The tracks never crossed the road. The house in the picture now sits on land where a church once stood. There is also a former oil well on the property, which is pictured, to the right, below.
The railroad reached Asphaltum via a spur track. Oil was discovered in this area, and although the wells never played out, the C&WV built a track. Left: The end of the spur line. Working from plans, we concluded that the spur ended where the fence line is. A town plot map shows the driveway of the residence as Main Street and the track was to the south. The fence posts are old ties. Right: Located in the yard at the 250E and 600N is one of the old oil wells. The property owner, Mr. O'Connor, pointed this former well out to us. They added the stone around the old pipe. There are several others in and around the area, however, we did not attempt to track others down.
@2004-2012 Monon Railroad Historical-Technical Society, Inc.
