• /

By Fred Steiner
www.BlufftonForever.com

Details in a recently found obituary of a Bluffton man who died 125 years ago could be one of the most incredible discoveries in the community’s history.

There’s no historic marker at the entrance to town and the person in this story is buried in an unmarked Maple Grove Cemetery grave, listed as old lot number 120. 

Would you believe Bluffton was a stop on the underground railroad moving African American slaves to Canada? That fact came to light  with the discovery of the obituary or Peter K. Mumma, who died here in 1898.

Mumma’s secret was well-kept as his obituary reads, from a June 1898, Bluffton News.

In a search for his Bluffton residence, an 1880 map shows Elizabeth Mumaugh (sic) owner of Bluffton lot 19, on Riley Street directly south of where Little Riley joins Big Riley Creek. An adjoining property, lot 12, owned by Elizabeth Mumaugh and Wilhelmina Eaton is on the north side of Riley Street, and today is intersected by Spring Street. Peter’s obituary lists his wife’s name as Elizabeth.

CONTINUES

  • /

Tom Bell, member of the Bluffton High School class of 1965, wrote this story on how street painting in front of Bluffton High School first began. This story is included in the book, “A Good Place To Miss – Bluffton Stories 1900-1975.” Copies are available at the Bluffton Senior Citizens Center.

By Tom Bell

Ron “Gridley” Steiner actually masterminded the entire deployment. He recruited an unlikely group of artists to carry out his plan. Dick Herr, Larry Moser and I were selected for no obvious rhyme or reason.

We borrowed paint from our parents and mixed it all together. Barn white, porch gray and clothesline pole silver did the trick.

Security, or not getting caught, was a major concern. We knew that Carter Shisler of the police department would be on patrol. We also knew that he would cruise past the high school and use Maple Grove Cemetery as his turn around. We considered locking him in the cemetery, but since Wade Bechtel had experienced that, the police had been alternating the gates they entered.

Finally, after several creative plans were scuttled, it was decided that Larry Moser would be the lookout. He was to hide behind the ivy growing on the school.

CONTINUES

  • /

By Fred Steiner
www.BlufftonForever.com

Imagine being required to turn off your water line each time the fire department answered a fire alarm.

Don’t even think about hitching your horse to a fire hydrant.

Those were the rules when Bluffton’s municipal water plant opened in the late 1890s.

And, this may come as a surprise. The reason the village of Bluffton created a municipal water plant was for fire protection. It had very little to do with providing individuals with running water in their houses.

In a case you wonder, here are additional rules governing water usage in the village when the water plant first opened:

• Patrons had to immediately discontinue using water for any purpose, when the fire alarm sounded.

• It was prohibited to hitch horses to fire hydrants.

• Lawn, garden or yard sprinkling was restricted  to the hours of 5:30 to 9 a.m. and 4 to 8 p.m.

CONTINUES

  • /

Oil lamps were street lights; hogs roamed at large on Main Street; in rainy weather, the road was axle deep

By Fred Steiner
www.BlufftonForever.com

Back in the days before electric lights, running water, concrete sidewalks, pavements and other modern improvements, Bluffton presented an appearance much different than it does today. 

In rainy weather, the road was axle deep on Main Street and transportation was as much of a problem as in the country.

Places of business had board walks built in front of the stories, and these for  some reason or other had an overshoot from the roof over the pavement. 

Most of the buildings were one story affairs and many of them had “false fronts” above the roofs to lend the appearance of an upper story. On these false fronts were usually the names of the proprietors of the store.

It was not until the late 1880s that the town got oil lamps on the Main Streets. A lamp lighter was hired by the town council for the purpose of lighting the lamps at dusk, and this individual carrying a ladder about on the round of his duties was much a part of the scene as in the England of “Pomander Walk” fame.

CONTINUES

  • /

The May monthly meeting of the newly named Bluffton Ohio Historical Society will be Wednesday, May 10 at 7:00 p.m. on the third floor of Bluffton City Hall. 

The meeting will include officer and sub-committee reports and a review of the Allen County Museum in Lima. 

Aaron Rule will present a program, "Bluffton Antiques and Artifacts" where he will show parts of his personal collection.

  • /

By Fred. Steiner
www.BlufftonForever.com

A Bluffton News item from Oct. 29, 1896, states that J.S. Jennings of Armorsville received a letter from his cousin, William Jennings Bryan, Democratic candidate for president.

Point of interest: Armorsville no longer exists. At one time it was located on the County Line Road between Bluffton and Ada.

The interesting connection between this Bluffton area resident and a famous politician put us on a search of other residents with similar brushes with history.

Here’s what we found, each printed in the Bluffton News:

Oct. 31, 1907 - George Lewis returned Monday from Washington where he attended the postmaster’s convention. Of course, George shook hands with Teddy Roosevelt.

July 29, 1920 - Many local Republicans journeyed to Marion Thursday to see Senator Warren G. Harding accept the nomination for the presidency.

Making the trip were M.M. Murray, John Rogers, Roy Rogers, J.A. Thompson, Fred Tripplehorn, Edgar Jackson, Lloyd Murray, Hod Murray, George Lewis, A.C. LaPort, Dr. and Mrs. R.E. Hughson, Robert Hughson and Mr. and Mrs. Edgar Hauenstein.

March 4, 1937 - Captain Rene R. Studler, son of Mr. and Mrs. Paul Studler of South Jackson Street, was recently presented to King George of England, at a reception held at St. James Palace in London.

CONTINUES

Pages