Note: The Icon acquired a manuscript titled “A Brief History of Bluffton’s Industrial Developments.” This publication was prepared by the classes in Marketing and Small Business Administration from Bluffton College, under the director of Dr. Howard Raid. Publication date is May 1959. The Icon will publish one article at a time. We’ve updated some current addresses so viewers may identify locations mentioned. The manuscript was given to the Icon by the Ropp Triplett family.

INTRODUCTION
This little booklet is presented to you with some of the information about early and present Bluffton manufacturing firms. As you will note the articles were prepared by the different students in the department of Business Administration.

These brief articles are presented as some of the information about these firms. They are not in anyway intended to be exhaustive nor can we verify the accuracy of them. In many cases, especially in the reports of the old firms, the information was very difficult to secure and often conflicting reports were received. We hope, though, that you will receive a bit of new information, understanding and appreciation for these manufacturing businesses of Bluffton and community. We welcome your corrections of this material.

Althaus and Oberly planing mill and successors
1870-1900

In the early 1870s Peter Althaus and William Oberly went into partnership establishing a planing mill located where Steinman Lumber (Riley Creek Mercantile in 2015) now stands. Their service to the community was to ship in rough poplar and white pine, dress it, and then sell it to local builders. In addition to this, custom work was done. Operations included planing, edging and ripping with machines powered by steam.

“One thing, which we heard all day long when I was a boy,” related I.B. Beeshy, “was the continuous humming of the two big planers that were in operation then.”

They also had a tongue-and groove machine to make flooring,” he said. This firm continued through 1886 at which time 10 men were employed. An advertisement in one of the early Bluffton News papers read:

ALTHAUS & OBERLY & CO.
We use nothing but the best of lumber and warrant all our work. Our prices will be found lower than elsewhere. We cordially invite all those intending to build or those wanting lumber of any kind to giveus a call and examine our prices.

The Althaus and Oberly mill was succeeded by the Althaus Brothers, Peter and Abe. (Peter continuing on from before) Abe, who was a bachelor, traded his firm to Peter’s former partner, William Oberly for a share in the mill, then joined his brother to carry on the same operations as previous.

Althaus and Geiger was the next firm name. This time Frederick Geiger, grandfather to Maynard Geiger who is presently engaged in radio repair, bought out Abe to join Peter.

Again the mill partially changed hands. This time Elmer Ewing and Peter went together making it Althaus Ewing & Co. Frank Scott was an inactive partner at this time. This was still on the same location and carried on the same functions.

After several years the Althaus Ewing & Co. began to manufacture the Morning Star Thresher in 1900. This was eventually the cause of the business failure. Althaus and Ewing ceased operations in 1908.

At this time the property was divided. Frank Scott and Elmer Ewing kept the main building where Steinman Brothers offices are now and Althaus kept he mill, shed, lumber yard, and barn. This he rented to a lumber company from Pandora. Scott and Ewing began other manufacturing operations in their building, which is covered by another report. What happened to the mill, barn and other property is also included in another report.

References: I. B. Beeshy;- Bluffton News
Interviewer: Marlin Gerber