Methane

Michigan's Methane Valley, enjoy the great out of doors.
Without research the date oil and gas was discovered and the first
oil wells drilled in the area of Meredith located in Clare County
Michigan is not clear.  My guess is the wells were drilled in the
late 1930s or early in the 1940s.  Memory is sketchy but story has
it when the oil well relief shift came they found the two man night
crew dead.  It looked as if the deceased workers had been sleeping.
Casualty blame fell on escaping gas released sometime during the
night.  For years the smell of putrid escaping gas required closing
car windows when driving on M-18 in the area of Lindy Lake.

Winds from the west carry stench far enough to be smelled at the
intersection of Dutcher and Chappel Dam Roads a distance of four
miles and even beyond.  When I say stink it's not the type you just
wrinkle up your nose and say phew, it is the type you clamp your
nose between your thumb and finger gasping in search for fresh air.
Off and on the escaping gas was vented and at times set fire. (The
eternal flame.)

Why was this gas not utilized?  Rumor claimed the
gas to be poison and unusable. Future oil/gas well, spills, leaking
storage tanks, venting of storage tanks, slush pits, leaking pipe
lines, transportation spills, and polluted air would certainly not
add to tourism, recreational areas, or healthy quality life.  This
article was written from memory and should be researched for fact.
The Gladwin County Record should have the above incident recorded in
their archives.  One thing I personally verify is the strong putrid
methane smell which has plagued the area for years*