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Before there was Vetter's there was Reichenbach Lumber

Posted by Fred Steiner on November 6, 2013 - 10:44am

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Before there was Vetter's Lumber, there was Reichenbach Lumber. Here's a advertisement photo of the staff, reprinted from the 1967 Bluffton High School yearbook.

Paul Reichenbach is standing on the far left; Jean Reichenbach on the far right. The Icon welcomes other identifications from viewers.

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Historical Bluffton
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Golden Spike Limited

Posted by Fred Steiner on October 31, 2013 - 7:40am

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Here's Nickel Plate Road Berkshire 759 pulling out of the former Lima Locomotive Works in the spring of 1969. The locomotive, built in Lima in 1949, was pulling the Golden Spike Limited. The train was headed to Utah where the centennial of the Golden Spike was to take place.

The train headed south and passed through Bluffton. Garth Gerber took this photo.

Icon viewers comments are welcome.

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Historical Bluffton
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Very possibly a victim of the 1965 tornado

Posted by Fred Steiner on October 24, 2013 - 4:35pm

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Here's a photo from Bluffton's tragic past. The identity of the barn is in question, but to the best of our ability we've identified this as the Ami Pifer barn. The photo was taken following the April 1965 tornado.

Thanks to details from Charles Hilty, Richard Jordan, Sam Diller we've pieced this story together (the photo had no ID except the word "Pifer" written on the backside).

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Historical Bluffton
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Historical Bluffton: Dick Cookson Marathon distributor

Posted by Fred Steiner on October 16, 2013 - 9:30pm

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If you need Marathon fuel oil to heat your house, call Dick Cookson at 358-2871 (never mind the 419). His "metered service" was located along State Route 103 across from the National Quarry and between the railroad tracks and Riley Creek.  He sold Marathon products.

This photo was taken from an advertisement in the 1973 Bluffton High School yearbook. Ken and Lee Cookson, Dick's sons, say the man in the photo is Merlin Zimmerly.

 

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Historical Bluffton
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1963 Interstate accident

Posted by Fred Steiner on October 3, 2013 - 2:03pm

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The year is 1963 - according to the license plate on the turned-over truck. The scene is the construction of one of the Interstate 75 overpasses around Bluffton. We don't have the specific information about this accident, but the photo reveals the following:

1 - Bluffton fire department responded. Truck number 2, a late 1930s-era Mack, is parked in the southbound lane. Is that Charles Swank of the fire department, talking the the man in the sunglasses?

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Historical Bluffton
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Here's the real Bentley Road overpass photo

Posted by Fred Steiner on September 24, 2013 - 9:01am

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We were fooled about the location of the previous overpass photo. But, not this time. This is the Bentley Road overpass under construction south of Bluffton. There are several things to point out.

First, the southbound lane of I 75 appears to be still under construction. The orignal Route 25 bypass of Bluffton eventually became Interstate 75. The original bypass was two lanes - the northbound lane of I-75.

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Historical Bluffton
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