This would have made national news today
These two photos are among the most frightening old photos ever posted on the Icon - for that matter, ever photographed near Bluffton.
Here's what we know about these photos. They show three burning oil tanks that were struck by lightning somewhere near Bluffton. Each tank contained 35,000 barrels of oil.
The photos are in post card format taken by Sidney Hauenstein.
In 1900 rural Bluffton boasted over 500 oil wells. However, we do not know where these oil tanks were located and we do not know the year of the photos, except that they must be somewhere between 1895 and 1905. All we know is that the fire was "near" Bluffton.
"The Town at the Fork of the Rileys" lists major fires in Bluffton and these tanks are not list among those fires.

Stories Posted This Week
Monday, April 21, 2025
- ONU theater students give voice to the Ukrainian people
- Permits will be needed for overnight parking on Spring St.
- April 26 Easter for Kids event
- Anabaptist choral concert on April 27
- April 23 landscaping night at the Bluffton Sportsmen's Club-LE&W Depot
- Upcoming BPL events, April 21-26
- Marc Augsburger is 2025 Outstanding Alumni from Rhodes State College
- Pirate girls win O-G Gold track meet, Bluffton boys 2nd
Sunday, April 20, 2025
Saturday, April 19, 2025
Friday, April 18, 2025
Thursday, April 17, 2025
- Bluffton Beavers sports roundup, April 9-15
- UPDATED Trio of teachers win $1,500 for Bluffton Elementary
- Bluffton public meetings scheduled
- Bluffton EMS stats for March 2025
- Bluffton tennis win vs. Celina
- Pirate softball beats Emmanuel Christian
- Kato will have a ball in retirement
- Poppies: Health implications
- Recap of April 14 Bluffton Council Meeting