Note: Bluffton sixth graders in the 1953-54 school year (graduating class of 1960) created a booklet titled "The Bluffton Story." The following article is part of that booklet, which is now in the history collection at the Bluffton Public Library. This series continues each week on the Icon.
By Sandra Diller and Connie Patterson
Bluffton's first post office was started in 1837 with a Daniel Gobel as postmaster. Mr. Gobel received a salary of fifteen dollars a year and mail was distributed at the post office once a month.
On May 7, 1852, the post office was named Croghan Post Office, Shannon, Ohio, in order to avoid confusion with a Shannon in the southern part of the state. The name of Croghan was selected in honor of Col. George Croghan who defended Fort Stephenson at Fremont in the War of 1812.
Shannon (now Bluffton) was at this time located in Putnam county. The make-up of the counties was changed and Shannon was moved to Allen county.
It was said at the time all Allen County got in the shift was a lot of Democrats and bridges.
The next big change to the post office came in the year 1861 when on August 17, the voters went to the polls and voted to change the name from Shannon to Bluffton at the suggestion of Jacob Moser who had moved here from Bluffton, Indiana.
The post office has been moved several times. It was at one time located on Riley Street, then to north Main Street corner of Jefferson, Vine Street and South Main St.
Bluffton was thrilled in 1940 when on July 21, the cornerstone was laid for the first federal building to be erected in Bluffton.
The new post office opened for business on January 10, 1941.
The post office of Bluffton has had seventeen postmasters. Mr. Edward R. Reichenbach has been the postmaster since 1934, and the office now employs 12.
The postmasters of the past were M. M (Dode) Murray, Gideon Locher, John Patterson, William Bently, M. G. Smith, John Martin, Edwin Edsall, Andrew Hauenstein, Abe Long, Robert D. Murray, Jacob Moser, Milos Vance, William McDermitt, Erastus Thompson, and Daniel Gobel.
