Fairfield is a large town in the state of Illinois, established in the years long before the eruption. It is one of several crude oil producing towns in the state, but it is the largest and most well established. Experiencing a mild exodus after the Ashfall, the town was partially abandoned for about a year, many parts of it succumbing to the frequent Ashfalls that came with the early days.
The remaining occupants of the town, a scant 100 or so people, eked out a living among the dust, at first scavenging from the town and then throughout Wayne county. The slowly growing community soon realized that their sources of food and other resources were becoming too distant to realistically get to on foot, the ash making it difficult to traverse. It became apparent that they’d either have to leave or find a new method of transport.
It wasn’t long before a decision was made-they would begin dusting off the ancient oil mining machinery and began to study old surveying manuals. Searching the immediate area, they had the lucky break of discovering several locations where oil was simply seeping through the topsoil, hidden by thin layers of ash.
Converting the oil was surprising easy due to existing infrastructure, and refurbished vehicles began to romp about Illinois, and outside of the state, with some of the first expeditions into the Ashlands belonging to Fairfield.
Contact with other factions went surprisingly well, with most of them immediately curious of Fairfield’s abundant source of fuel. Soon fuel caravans stretched across the Midwest and the east coast, trading precious gasoline for food, weapons, and supplies. Fairfield has grown into a bustling town, with a population of 8000