The Leonard Refinery began operating in Alma (Mich.) in 1936. In 1938 it purchased the McClanahan refinery in St. Louis (Mich.), and moved most of its equipment to Alma. Both refineries grew and prospered. In 1950, Leonard Reinfery began reveing crude oil through the Michigan-Ohio Pipeline. In 1953 it was the first refinery in the world to offer high-octange gas: 96-octane. As a result, "Alma Day" was declared at the Oil Exposition in Tulsa, Oklahoma, on May 21, 1953. Total Petroleum, Ltd. moved its North American headquarters from Alma to Denver, Colorado in August 1982. The lost of people, money, and jobs had a negative eeffect on Alma's economy. A fire damaged the refinery in 1992. Although Total announced a major upgrade of the refinery, the refinery was closed by November 1999. During peak periods of operation, the refinery processed 55, 000 barrels of crude oil a day. (This information si from Down 12 decades: a pictorial history of Alma, Michgian and the Alma website (http://www.ci.alma.mi.us/milestones.htm).
From the description of Photographic collection, 1957, 2005. (Clarke Historical Library). WorldCat record id: 73722718
