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1893 Bluffton High School grads speak their minds

Posted by Staff on May 29, 2022 - 6:00am

By Fred Steiner
www.BlufftonForever.com

High School graduation weekend is here. The Bluffton High School class of 2022 is the 141st class to graduate from our school system. The first class, of 1881, had six graduates.

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Historical Bluffton
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1892: Bluffton's worst railroad accident

Posted by Staff on May 22, 2022 - 6:35am

By Fred Steiner
www.BlufftonForever.com

Imagine an out-of-control and fast-moving freight train colliding into the rear of a mixed passenger and freight train stopped at a station.

That scene describes Bluffton’s most horrific railroad accident and it happened here 130 years ago, in 1892.

The accident killed one person, and caused damages in today’s money amounting to nearly $800,000, almost forced the railroad out of business.  

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Historical Bluffton
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A chat with the woman who played the piano in Bluffton’s silent movie theatre

Read the complete story at www.blufftonforever.com
Posted by Staff on May 15, 2022 - 7:12am

By Fred Steiner

www.BlufftonForever.com

Question: Can you name a business that has continually operated on Bluffton’s Main Street for over one century?

Answer: You may not guess this, but the answer is a movie theatre. Today’s Shannon Theatre was once called the Carma. And, the Carma’s origins started in the silent film era as the Star Theatre.

In the days of silent movies, a piano player sat in a pit near the screen providing music to accompany the drama unfolding.

That piano player was Helen Worthington.

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Historical Bluffton
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Remembering past Bluffton High School graduations

Posted by Staff on May 8, 2022 - 6:00am

With the Bluffton University commencement of 2022 celebrated on May 7 and the Bluffton High School ceremonies in our sights on May 28, you may be preoccupied with what the future will bring for these young people.

In a hundred year's time will Blufftonites be reading about them?

In a series of blogs for www.BlufftonForever.com, Fred Steiner provides us with lists of and information about Bluffton High School graduates beginning in 1881.

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Historical Bluffton
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Photo-story: Bread baking in the Swiss Settlement

Demonstration for Senior Center members
Posted by Paula Scott on May 8, 2022 - 6:00am

Members of the Bluffton Senior Citizens Center recently enjoyed an outdoor bread baking demonstration at the Schumacher Homestead, 8350 Bixel Rd. It was a damp and chilly week, but the group brought blankets and chairs, and made themselves comfortable.

Ivan Friesen provided the bread baking expertise, while Swiss Community Historical Society curator Keith Sommers filled in the guests on the history of bread ovens in the area known as The Settlement.

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Historical Bluffton
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Pirate who loved Bluffton football the most?

Posted by Staff on May 2, 2022 - 6:00am

By Bill Herr, Bluffton Icon Columnist

In all the years of Bluffton Pirate football, which person loved it the most? Was it a player? Was it a coach? Was it an administrator or teacher? 

My choice is Curtis Habegger, one of my former students. Curtis graduated from Bluffton High School in 1976. One of his classmates, Bob Herr, told me "Curtis was a great guy, had an outstanding personality." After graduation, Curtis worked for Lugibihl Spray. David Lugibihl said that Curtis was very quiet, didn't say much until you got to know him. He had a good personality. He was slow, but a good worker, very particular. Curtis told David he wanted to clean out his barn floor. He insisted on doing it by hand with a pitchfork rather than using an available tractor loader. David said it took him three days, and afterward, the barn was so clean You could have eaten a meal on it."

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Historical Bluffton
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