Historical Bluffton

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It was 1910.

William Howard Taft from Ohio was the U.S. president. Women did not yet have the right to vote. The Philadelphia A's defeated the Chicago Cubs in the World Series. Thomas Edison introduced his kinetosphone, which made talkies a reality. Halley's comet is observed photographically for the first time.

Here is a photograph taken by R.E. Basinger of the Pandora High School that year. Sorry to say we have no IDs of students, but if your family has a 100-plus year history in Pandora and if you examine this photo closely you may recognize a great-great grandparent.

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It is believed that this photo of Pandora was taken in 1912. The photo shows 12 large wagon loads of sugar beets. The crop was brought in to Pandora by horses. To the right is the Northern Ohio Railroad, later Akron, Canton and Youngstown Railroad.

We believe this photo looks west and that the track heads toward Columbus Grove. If that is the case, the road on the other side of the depot is today Jefferson Street, Pandora.

Several additional points in the photo, include what appear to be milk containers at the railroad depot.

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We asked the Icon photographer for a bird's-eye view of Bluffton and he apparently flew over the wrong community.

Here's how neighboring Ada appeared from a bird's-eye view 63 years ago. The photo was published in Ada's 1953 centennial booklet.

There are 15 buildings identified in the legend at the bottom of the photo.

 

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Bluffton High School's graduating class of 1961 pose with Miss Hilty as third graders in the 1951-52 school year.

This photo is from the Icon's collection, but we don't have names of students. We are hopeful that someone from the class will provide row by row names. Please send your list to: [email protected]. We will post it with this photo.

The class held its 55th reunion in the summer of 2016. We've posted that photo below.

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That's right. You've never crossed this bridge.

At one time it crossed Riley Creek and based upon the era of this photo, the bridge was a fixture in the early 1900s. The photo is from a collection of Bluffton photos taken by pioneer photograher Will Triplett.

This photo might be near Foxes Hill south of Bluffton. Notice that someone is on bridge. Also notice the picket fence on the "bluff" if you can call it a bluff.

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Here’s a First Mennonite Church confirmation class photo from the mid-1960s.

Front from left, Dan Lehman, Linda Reichenbach, Lu Shetler, Cynthia Weaver, Don Paterson.

Second row from left, Larry Mast, Sandra Dillman, Margo Reichenbach, Karyl Gratz, Phillip Pannabecker.

Third row from left, Dennis Gable, Susan Lehman, Coletta Lora, Dave Burkholder.

Fourth row from left, Richard Herr, Lee Cookson, Jack Kibele.

Top:  Rev. Jacob Friesen.

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