Why are the words “Commercial Bank’ in capital letters above the John Wagner Nationwide Agency at 105 N. Main St.?
Here’s the answer: The Commercial Bank was Bluffton’s first bank. It was founded in 1887 as a private bank by Frank Scott, N.W. Cunningham purchased one-half interest in it in 1893.
Scott and Cunningham were the sole owners until June 3, 1902, when it was incorporated under the laws of the State of Ohio and became a state bank.
Why is the Bluffton football field called Harmon Field?
The answer is nearly 100 years old.
The Harmon Field we know today was originally intended to be a playground in the early 1920s. And, it soon grew from a playground to include a football field and much more.
It was one of a number of such parks in Ohio established by William E. Harmon, New York philanthropist, who was a native of Lebanon, Ohio.
Review by Wilson
If you’ve been paying attention to worldwide theater re-openings, you know there is one movie whose release date seems to be tumbling perilously into the future, Christopher Nolan’s newest film TENET.
Nolan (INCEPTION, THE DARK KNIGHT) is known for his ability to turn seemingly-complex plots into high-caliber entertainment. In anticipation of his newest film, I thought it would be appropriate to revisit my favorite film of his: MEMENTO.
Did you ever wonder how Bentley Road was named? Here’s the answer. It was named after land owner, Thomas Bentley, who owned 160 acres south of Bluffton, bordering the road now bearing his name.
His property fronted what is today on the west side of Bentley Road bordering Shifferly and Hillville Road.
The map used with this story shows that Bentley Road on the north side of Bluffton’s Main Street never connected to Bentley Road on the south side of Bluffton. However, at some point both roads took on the Bentley name.
Reviewed by Craig Hoffman
Such Pretty Forks in the Road is the ninth studio album by Canadian-American singer, songwriter, and actress Alanis Morissette. It is Morissette’s first studio album in eight years. Morissette had been working on the album since at least mid-2017. But it was worth the wait.
Morissette was scheduled to embark on a world tour for the 25th anniversary of her 1995 album Jagged Little Pill in 2020, during which she would perform songs from her entire career, including songs from Such Pretty Forks in the Road.
You’ve walked past this door and never gave it much thought. It’s one of the oldest pieces remaining from the original 1887 town hall construction. What do you suppose is behind the door?
The answer today is a brick wall. The original answer was the town jail.
As you can see, there’s plenty you don’t know about the Bluffton town hall. And, we’ll get to much of that in future columns.
This week, let’s talk about the jail, which until now, you may have never known existed in the first place.
