You are here

Home » News

Historical Bluffton

100 years ago this weekend in Bluffton

Posted by Fred Steiner on March 24, 2013 - 3:32pm

Here's a photo of the 1913 Bluffton flood, which occurred between March 23 and 27, 1913. The flood was much wider than the Riley, as many streams across Ohio flooded.

The Feb. 28, 2011, flood was devastating, but imagine cleaning up after the 1913 flood. Here's a photo of that flood taken on Cherry Street. The building on the very far left houses the Village Cut 'n' Curl today.

Section: 
Historical Bluffton
»

America is a Hankish ice cream cone

Posted by Fred Steiner on March 19, 2013 - 12:30pm

"American is a Hankish Ice Cream Cone." To an eariler Bluffton generation, that statement rings true. The Icon discovered this photo in its archives. Our best guess is that it's a 1976 bicentennial parade.

Perhaps it was photographed from the town hall looking across at what is now Smith's Realty. 

Any ideas on the ID of the driver of the float, or any of the kids on the curb are welcome. If the photo was taken in 1976, some of the youth might be in their 40s.

CLICK ON IMAGE TO ENLARGE

Section: 
Historical Bluffton
»

Central Mennonite College

Posted by Fred Steiner on March 13, 2013 - 9:54am

CLICK ON IMAGE ON ENLARGE

Bluffton University, once called Bluffton College, was orginally called Central Mennonite College. Here is a photograph of the first-ever building on the campus. It's College Hall, which still exists today. 

Several things stand out in this photo:

Section: 
Historical Bluffton
»

Remember the Cherry Street bridge?

Posted by Fred Steiner on March 4, 2013 - 1:47pm

This scene may look familar to many Icon viewers. It's the "old" bridge over Riley Creek on Cherry Street. The bridge was replaced in recent years with a two-lane bridge that is built above the flood plain. This view looks east on Cherry. The Farmers' Grain building is still standing.

Section: 
Historical Bluffton
»

The earliest known photo of the town hall

Posted by Fred Steiner on February 19, 2013 - 10:40pm

CLICK ON IMAGE TO ENLARGE

Bluffton's town hall originally served several functions that it does not serve today. For example, the town hall was shared between the village and the Richland Township trustees. In addition, the Bluffton post office was housed on the first floor (south side).

The Odd Fellows Lodge hall served the lodge on the third floor. The third floor originally had a dance floor and also served as a location for community programs.

The town hall also had a jail, located on the first floor of the Elm Street side.

Section: 
Historical Bluffton
»

What would the Buckeye look like without water?

Posted by Fred Steiner on February 10, 2013 - 9:12pm

CLICK ON IMAGE TO ENLARGE

Have you ever wondered what the Buckeye would look like with the water drained? Here's the answer. This photo shows the "Buckeye Stone Quarries" - does that mean there were more than one?

Although we aren't certain, our hunch is that this photo was taken from the "Main Street" side of the quarry looking toward Spring.  This photo is not dated, however, a plat map of Bluffton from 1880 shows Riley Creek and the Marsh Run, and no quarry exists. So the Buckeye was quarried after 1880.

Section: 
Historical Bluffton
»

Pages