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West College Avenue bridge ribbon cutting?

Posted by Fred Steiner on March 8, 2021 - 11:44am

Here’s a Bluffton ribbon-cutting photo without any information, but we are working on a theory and we are checking it out with our esteemed list of Bluffton history fact-checkers, so stay tuned.

Jim Diller provided this photo, taken by his father, Paul Diller.

Our guess is this is 1960, based on the yellow-orange license plate on a Chevy station wagon. The tan and white car is a 1959 Pontiac.

The persons we’ve identified from left are William “Kaiser” Gaiffe, Clayton Bixel, _____, _____, Wilbur Amstutz (he was mayor from 1960-65), ___, ___, ___.

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Bluffton's Woodcock power plant

Posted by Fred Steiner on March 1, 2021 - 10:19am

Jim Diller shared this photo of Bluffton's Woodcock power plant with the Icon. It was originally a color slide taken by his father, Paul.

For viewers who may be unaware, the site of John's Body Shop on Lake Street was once a coal-fired power plant. It was razed in the 1980s.

The photographer captured the plant and the trees in a perfect reflection in the National Quarry on a summer afternoon.

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Historical Bluffton
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A Bluffton parade we never watched

Posted by Fred Steiner on February 22, 2021 - 12:06pm

Liz Gordon-Hancock shares this photo with Icon viewers. She found it ebay.

If you think Bluffton parades are well attended today, look at this photo showing an early 1900s parade. The crowd is four people deep on one side and even more crowded on the other side.

We don’t k­­now the purpose or exact year of this parade, however here are some observations.

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Historical Bluffton
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Main Street mid-1940s

Posted by Fred Steiner on February 15, 2021 - 10:19am

This is Main Street Bluffton in the mid-1940s. 

There is a 1938 Chevy parked in from of the A and P. There is a newer Chrysler product, probably a 1945-46 model also in the photo. Plus, there's no Shannon Theatre – it wasn't built yet.

Lots of other things to notice:
• Gas pump on the far left side of the photo
• The Charles Company where Citizens National Bank is today
• One stoplight at the Cherry-Main intersection
• Notice the street lamps
• Notice the condition of the sidewalks

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Historical Bluffton
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All that 2004 jazz

Posted by Fred Steiner on February 8, 2021 - 1:32pm

Here's the Bluffton High School jazz band from the 2003-04 school year.

• Front row: Eric Blevins, Tyler Baderstcher, Cara Gudakunst

• Middle row: Anne Steiner, Joy Savage, Alan Way, Jessica Ramey, Mary Miller

• Back row: Aaron Yoder, Joel Gundy, Adam Phillips, Matt Mummert, Dan Stratton, Joel Reichenbach, Annalisa Harder

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Historical Bluffton
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2003-04 sixth grade academic team

Posted by Fred Steiner on February 1, 2021 - 11:28am

Thanks to Joel Groman, who put names on faces! Here's the Bluffton sixth grade academic team from 2003-04 school year. Chad Matthewson was the team coach.

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Historical Bluffton
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