tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-998936422915177299.post3411680068485511975..comments2024-03-18T13:17:32.874-05:00Comments on Rensselaer Adventures: Did you know that black gold was discovered in Jasper County?Dessert Survivorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04616064444288249273noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-998936422915177299.post-24351592388267132922020-04-12T05:10:47.003-05:002020-04-12T05:10:47.003-05:00I lived for 7 years just east of Asphaltum, and ow...I lived for 7 years just east of Asphaltum, and own a couple of postcards of the refinery. <br /><br />It was the original refinery of the Indian Asphalt Company, which eventually morphed and merged its way into various entities that are everyday names, e.g. Texaco and Havoline. It was founded by a member of Philadephia's Levering family, a branch of which moved to Indiana (a member of that family wrote a <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Historic-Indiana-Julia-Henderson-Levering/dp/1363259369%22" rel="nofollow"> history of Indiana</a>). Levering also made early "electronic" test equipment used in a variety of applications; I own a piece which was used in the magneto telephony industry. <br /><br />Asphaltum is mentioned in <a href="https://www.oldgas.com/info/texacohist.html" rel="nofollow">this</a> history of the Texaco Company. It was (very briefly) the location of their first refinery. Capouchhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10216719074922223901noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-998936422915177299.post-35513045088727957942010-09-22T04:16:11.643-05:002010-09-22T04:16:11.643-05:00Interesting story. ThanksInteresting story. ThanksMichael J Oakeshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13984708160139931500noreply@blogger.com