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Your grandfather or great-grandfather might be in this photo. It shows an auction in the late 1940s put on by members of the Bluffton Presbyterian Church. The man circled in the upper left corner is Ned Schultz.
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No, this is not Bluffton. But it is a small northwestern Ohio town in 1902 or earlier. It's a scene from Ada and a Pennsylvania Railroad passenger train. The scene shows new students being greeted for the first of the term at Ohio Northern Unversity.
Here's a rare photo taken from the air of the "bend" on Kibler Street cira 1948. Is the Icon correct to state that the houses on the west side belonged to Bakers, Littles, Stauffers and Bierys?
Once in a conversation with the late James F. West, former Citizens National Bank president, he said that in the late 1940s this neighbor was known as "mortage row."
That title, of course, changes with each new subdivision, and he was certainly aware of that.
Here's Bluffton looking from Main Street west toward what is now the university campus. We've established that these photos were taken in 1948. Watch for more information concerning why we know the exact date.
You must look closely to realize this is a photo of Bluffton. Several structures here no long exist. Check the St. Mary's Catholic Church on the right center of the photo.
In the center left you'll notice a very narrow Vine Street between Lawn and Spring.
Here's a view of South Jackson Street with Grove Street in the center of the photo.
A close examination reveals the old St. Mary's Catholic Church building, a very narrow Jackson Street, no addition to St. John's UCC, several "small structures" at the rear of many residences (are these outhouses?).
We continue our flight around Bluffton in the late 1940s. Here is the Grove Street-Kibler Street neighborbood. It shows just the edge of Motter Metro Park. If you examine back yards closely you will notice several clothes lines with clothes drying
