Historical Bluffton

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Here are members of the St. John's Reformed Church (today St. John's United Church of Christ) confirmation class in 1910.

It is one of nearly 170 photos in "The Bluffton We Never Knew," a book to be released in December by The Icon.

Front row from left, Clara Niswander, Rev. Settledge and Gertrude Niswander.

Standing from left, Minnie Mueller Basinger, Rose Luginbuhl, Marie Matter Craig and Blanche Criblez Wilkins. (Photo from St. John’s church archives)

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Prior to 1897 Bluffton residents' water came from wells. The town-wide water system developed shortly after that.

Here is one of the most unusual photos of Bluffton you will ever see. It's a test of water pressure in 1897 or 1898. The test occurred during the opening of the Bluffton water plant. It demonstrated that the pressure enabled water to shoot higher than Main Street buildings, a plus for the fire department.

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Yes, it's Bluffton. This Lake Erie and Western freight is loaded with Bluffton stone. It sits on a siding at the National Quarry at Jefferson Street. The year is 1910 or 1911.

Frank McElroy, a stone company employee, standing on one of the cars of stone.

This is one of many photos published in "The Bluffton We Never Knew," photographs from Bluffton's first half century, 1861-1911. The book is being released by the Bluffton Icon.

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If this is 1890, then this must be Bluffton.

It is Bluffton and it is Main and Cherry in one of the earliest photos of Main Street. Will Triplett took this photo.

Please look at the addition two photos below - we've enlarged portions of the original photo to look closer at this scene.

Here are some observations:

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After posting this photo we've learned more about it. From Carrie Phillips: "It could be the 50th anniversary May Day weekend."

She adds: My grandparents, Ray and Lucile Holcomb, are in the back row, 3rd and 4th from the left.

The first row include faculty members.

Persons identified on the second row are sixth from left, Wanda Suter Pannabecker, next is Earl Lehman. Arden Slotter is 13th from left. Robert Simcox is fourth from right.

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Not much appears to have changed at the Morning Star Cider Press on Road R. Here's a color slide taken by Paul Diller in the early 1950s.

Looks like an early 1950s Ford, GMC truck, maybe a Chrysler and Studebaker in line for cider. (Photo from Jim Diller collection)

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