Historical Bluffton

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Here's a Blufton parade in the early 1940s. This is the Bluffton Masonic Lodge. Several observations:
• 48-star flags
• Western Ohio Railroad interuban tracks still evident on Main Street
• Elk Restaurant in the building that today houses Ellerbrock Spine and Soft Tissue
• Check out the awnings on the restaurant
• Muma's Electric Shop, radio service in is the office that today houses Faith Investment Services
• Apparently, behind that Oscar Velasquez mural is a large mural ad for a 5 cent cigar that is "truly a 10 cent quality"

 

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Here's the Cory-Rawson High School band. It's marching in the 1986 Bluffton 125th anniversary parade. Merlin Marshall, director, is with the band, on the left side of the photo.

Merlin's son, John, relates this interesting story about this photo. He says:

"I had forgotten about those beautiful green pants! That was taken on the day of my brother Rick's wedding at Bethel Church on 30, east of 235 outside Ada. That's right, we marched in the parade, went home, cleaned up and got ready for the wedding.  Boy was that a hot day!

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We think you can identify this Bluffton location. Take a walk toward College Hall from Ropp Hall, after you cross the Riley. Then, there's a small footbridge over the  lagoon. That's this view from the 1934 Bluffton High School yearbook. The photo was in an advertisement for Bluffton College.

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Here's the cast of a 1927 Bluffton High School class play "Merely Mary Ann." Names of the cast are under the photograph.

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Here's an interesting Bluffton farm photo from the 1920s-early-1930s.

It's a farm boy riding a cart pulled by a dog, as the boy holds another dog on his lap.

The writing on the back of the snapshot reads: Levi Althaus's son, John, and his dogs, Tootsie and Puger (spelling?).

John is 3 in this photo - the same age as the dog, described as a "very fine" collie. (Collection of Fred Steiner)

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It was a sunny afternoon in July, 1986. Jim Ehrman, former Bluffton school superintendent, is the parade master of ceremonies during the Bluffton 125th anniversary celebration. He's on the review stand in front of the Presbyterian Church. (Dick Boehr photo)

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