Sand and gravel: Gift of the Ice Age glaciers (IM-08)
Figures compiled by the Indiana Geological Survey reveal that nearly $40 million worth of sand and gravel are produced annually in Indiana. The industry began during the 1830's when Hoosiers realized the vital need for improved roads. For many years farmers "worked out the road tax" by hauling wagonloads of gravel from nearby pits, scattering it on the roads, and maintaining and improving the roads. Even today much of our sand and gravel is used as road metal or as aggregate for concrete and bituminous road materials.

Most of Indiana's sand and gravel is found in the complex mass of rock materials carried in and dropped by the Ice Age glaciers. Except for terraces and bars in river valleys, almost all of Indiana's gravel deposits are found in the northern two-thirds of the state.

Our Hoosier State Beneath Us: Industrial Minerals