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1949 Bluffton beard contest

Posted by Fred Steiner on November 16, 2020 - 10:15am

Here are two photos of Bluffton men who entered a July 4, 1949, beard contest, which was part of a ‘49er gold rush night rodeo in Bluffton.

Front row from left, Joe Swank, Ed Rice, Lazarus “Santa Claus” Basinger, Dave Risser, Hiram Huser and Wilford Geiger.

Second row from left, Walter Gratz, Everett “Suty” Suttermeister, John Stonehill, Bill Augsburger, Robert Dillman, William “Kaiser” Gaiffe and Truxton Hill.

Top row from left, Walter “Red” Stannus, unidentified, Bill Edwards, Howard Stauffer, Harry Bogart, Al Ingalls and Clair Leiber.

Section: 
Historical Bluffton
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The dread of taking the quarry test

Posted by Fred Steiner on November 16, 2020 - 9:08am

"All these years later, I still remember the dread I felt before taking the quarry test. This wasn't a written exam, and it had nothing to do with school. It was a rite of passage for any Bluffton kid from around the mid-1950s to the early-1990s who wanted to earn the right to swim in the Buckeye." - Rick Ramseyer

Section: 
Iconoclast View
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This week's poll results

Posted by Fred Steiner on November 16, 2020 - 8:49am

Here are results of last week's Icon poll. To take this week's poll, asking how covid-19 has affected you directly by clicking here.

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This only happens in a small town

Posted by Fred Steiner on November 15, 2020 - 4:40pm

Dian and Alan Yoder were treated to the longest parade of honking vehicles that community has witnessed in a long time. It all happened between 5 and 6 p.m. on Friday, as Dr. Yoder retired after checking vision of Bluffton and area residents for over one-half century. Click here for the story. (Mark Yoder photo)

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Did Alan Yoder administer your first-ever eye exam?

And, perhaps your second, maybe even your third, probably your fourth?
Posted by Fred Steiner on November 15, 2020 - 4:31pm

Did Alan Yoder administer your first-ever eye exam? And, perhaps your second? Maybe your third? Probably your fourth? And maybe your parent’s, or your children’s exams?

Did you ever call him after-hours with an eye-related issue, and he said, “I’ll meet you up at the office in about 15 minutes.” Often he’d be there before you arrived.

If so, you are not alone. For 55 or 56 years, depending upon how you look at the calendar, Dr. Alan Yoder, was probably your eye doctor.

Section: 
People
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Forgotten Bluffton: All those barbers

Here's a list of who and where you could once get a haircut and a shave in Bluffton
Posted by Fred Steiner on November 15, 2020 - 2:19pm

Check the photos at the bottom -
In our culture, the barbershop has a niche of its own.

Many barbers served Bluffton over the years. And, they have faded into the town woodwork. 

We compiled a list of them after a hearing a long lecture on the subject about 40 years ago given by the late Rolland Stratton. He knew more about Bluffton than any other person on Main Street.

Section: 
Columnists
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