Historical Bluffton

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Bluffton Ohio Historical Society wants to save Rudolf Althaus general store

By Paula Pyzik Scott

On May 21, Bluffton historian and Icon founder Fred Steiner returned to his hometown to provide a program on the Althaus-Amstutz-Hahn-Steiner family, drawing a full house to the Bluffton Public Library lower level. The presentation was conversational and pictorial: he provided dozens of images of the people, places and artifacts in his story.

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Eight colorized photos that once adorned the walls of the "Cardinal Room" of what is now Chase bank. Click to enlarge and view at your own pace.

By Paula Pyzik Scott
For www.BlufftonForever.com

This article is a work in progress and a collaboration. The Bluffton Ohio Historical Society is seeking information about these eight photos, which are inspiration for the upcoming Reimagining Bluffton's History art contest, with entries to be submitted in July 2025.

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Bluffton experienced the sound of “a thousand freight trains”
8mm film of devastated properties

By Fred Steiner
Published Apr 12, 2015

That sound was the Palm Sunday, April 11, 1965, tornado.

At 9:45 p.m., it ripped across the rural Richland and Orange Township landscape. It was like no other natural disaster experienced prior or since then in this community.

Had the tornado’s path been one mile north it would have struck the Village of Bluffton. Had it been 600 feet farther north it would have hit 32 planes parked at the Bluffton Airport.

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The Bluffton Ohio Historical Society is inviting friends of Bluffton history to attend its monthly meeting at 7:00 p.m. on Wednesday, April 9 at the Bluffton Sportsmen's Club, 405 N Spring St.

Secretary Scott Little notes, "As usual, there will be lots to discuss. We’ll have committee reports (Building, History Day, Finance, Acquisitions, Depot Rentals, Membership, Grant Writing, Budgeting and Communications). Also, be thinking about what name we want to call the Depot/Train Station.  Do we want a more official name?

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March 29, 10:00 a.m.-noon Kick-off event at Bluffton Art Co., 105 E. Elm St.

The Bluffton Ohio Historical Society has announced a contest with youth and adult divisions that invites you to "reframe" Bluffton history in drawings, paintings, multi-media and photography.

A kick-off event will be held at Bluffton Art Company on Saturday, March 29 from 10 a.m.-noon. Eight historic Bluffton photos will be on display to provide inspiration for entries.

There will be prizes for youth (18 & under) and adult winners.

Submissions must be 8.5 x 11 inches, in landscape (horizontal) orientation. Photos must be a minimum of 300 dpi.

The contest deadline is July 31, 2025.

For updates, visit the Bluffton Ohio Historical Society website, www.BlufftonForever.com or follow the society on Facebook.

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PHOTOS by Marvin Foster / Click images to enlarge and view at your own pace

By Scott Little
Bluffton Ohio Historical Society Secretary

Perhaps you have seen some historical artifacts in Bluffton storefronts over the last year. Those displays have been presented by the Bluffton Ohio Historical Society (BOHS), which was formed in 2022. On Wednesday night, January 15, the BOHS hosted Show and Tell, Part 1 at the Bluffton Public Library to encourage owners of local artifacts to display them publicly.  Over forty hardy attendees braved the cold and displayed and discussed a variety of local treasures.

Society President Ron Epp kicked off the program and sharing continued at a rapid pace for over an hour. Lithopolis, Oh. Attorney Dan Fox traveled over two hours to be present and gifted the BOHS with a State of Ohio certificate which 1932 Bluffton High School graduate and eventual Ohio Supreme Court Justice Ralph Locher had earned.  “I just knew when I saw this that it needed to be in Bluffton,” said Fox. 

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