You are looking at a photo by Will Triplett taken in Bluffton in 1895. The bridge crosses the Riley on Main Street, yet the note taken by Photographer Triplett read "Bridge on Indian Trail." This confirms the story that Main Street was in fact originally a trail of Native Americans.
Other information written about this photo follows - Back of the framed photo is handwritten: Photography by Will A. Triplett approx. 1900 (reprinted by Tish Triplett 1990)
Just when we think we've seen every old photo of the Bluffton-Pandora Swiss community a new "old" one comes into view. Chris Collins provided this photo to The Icon.
Viewers need to understand that the county school houses between Bluffton and Pandora sometimes had as many as three names. First, the school house had a number, next the school house often carried the name of the farm where the building was located. Finally, unique to this community, schools were named after trees planted in their lawn.
If you love local history and old maps, this feature should keep you busy for weeks. Here is a plot map of Richland Township from the 1870s. The Icon dates this based on the placement of the Lake Erie and Western Railroad, which was laid in 1872. It is provided to The Icon by Chris Collins.
You've seen several photos of Main Street from this point, but have you seen this photo? It represents Main Street in the early 1920s. Citizens National Bank (with its pillars) was constructed in the early 1920s. The photographer, a woman - Mrs. Harley Lugibihl - was an accomplished photographer and several of her photographs are part of the standard historical photograph record of this community.
There are several things to point out in this photo.
Here's a remarkable photo of a once-thriving business in Bluffton: The Woodcock power plant. For residents of Bluffton since 1983 or so, this plant was located on the site of John's Body Shop, Lake Street. This photo was taken in the early 1950s.
There are several things to notice. First, count the railroad coal cars on the AC&Y Railroad siding. The plant was fueled by coal and that may be a one or two-day's worth of fuel sitting there.
Notice how clean (absence of trees and brush) are the banks of the National Quarry.
