Here's a "non-police" photo of William "Kaiser" Gaiffe. Paul Diller took a series of about 15 black and white portraits of Bluffton businessmen in the early 1950s. Gaiffe, who was eventually Bluffton's police chief, was owner of the Cloverleaf Market when this was taken. The store was on Vine Street in what is today the Richard Boehr offices.
In the early 1950s Paul Diller took a series of black and white portraits of Main Street men. This is one of those photos. It is of Lazarus Basinger, also known as "Santa Claus."
This photo was taken in front of Leland Gerber's Neu-Art Photo Studio on South Main Street. Today it is part of the Citizens National Bank parking lot.
Viewers with stories about Lazarus are welcome to send them.
Here's a view of The Page Dairy Co., a once-upon-a-time flourishing Bluffton business. We believe that Leland Gerber took this photo. The building stands today but looks a bit different. It is on Triplett Drive where the Bluffton school buses are parked.
There are several items to point out in this photo. Perhaps senior Icon viewers can share more information with us.
Notice the condition of Triplett Drive - at the time this photo was taken, it was Harmon Road. The street doesn't appeared to be paved.
Here's a classic Bluffton centennial photo; Seated and beardless is Gerald "Tuffy" Swank, Bluffton barber. Standing behind him are the Mericle brothers, Dick, Bill and Gene.
Charles Hilty took this photo. Here's his comments:
Note that Tuffy didn't have a beard. Did he not grow one for the Centennial, or is this is posed photo taken just after the celebration ended and he's already shaved at home and the Mericle brothers have come in to get their beards shaved?
Leland Gerber took this photo in the lawn of the Lloyd and Ferne Ramseyer home on Grove Street. (Mike and Mary Edmiston home today). The photo includes several Bluffton faculty wives and staff member. As for a year, our best guess is late 1960s.
We encourage Icon viewers to help with the identification in this photo.
Here's a St. John's United Church of Christ confirmation class from the early 1960s. Although we recognize most of the persons in the photo, we will invite Icon viewers to do the official identifications. Leland Gerber took the photo.
We see Augsburgers, Swanks, an Everett, Greding, King, Tschantz and others.
