This class photo has volumes and volumes of stories.
The Icon believes that it is the Bluffton High School of 1919 as second graders. We state this because that young man on the far right of the second row resembles William Hahn, uncle of the Icon owner. Add to that, the photo was in a chest of Hahn family photos.
That places this photo in the 1908-09 school year. Depending upon when the photo was taken, either Theodore Roosevelt or William Howard Taft was president.
When it comes to fires in Bluffton, this one was one of the most tragic.
This was the Russell Hotel that was destroyed in a 1919 fire. The building stood at the corner of Main and Church (see the Mennonite Church steeple in the background).
The fire destroyed the holtel, the Lugibihl Hardware and the Bluffton telephone exchange.
Today Citizens National Bank is located on this site.
Here's the Bluffton High School class of 1956 during the 1953-54 school year when they were sophomores. This year the class celebrates its 60th reunion.
Members of the Bluffton school board in 1948 are from left, Paul Diller, Norman Triplett, Carl Derringer (standing), James West, clerk; Levi Althaus (standing), and Leland Diller, board president.
A club that no longer exists in Bluffton schools is Hi-Y and Tri-Hi-Y. Both groups were open to sophomores through seniors and were related to YMCAs. Here are the girl Hi-Y members at BHS during the 1959-60 school year.
