The arch bridge
Click to enlarge
Yes, an idyllic scene from Bluffton, Ohio, in the 1800s. Can you place the location of this colorized post card photo? The bridge, known as the "arch" bridge once crossed Riley Creek where the Little and Big Rileys join. The one-lane bridge was removed in the late 1950s when the present structure, which may be built better, but lacks the architectural attractiveness, was installed.
The ground on the west side where the milk cow stands was, yes, once a pasture. When this photo was taken, this spot marked the edge of the village limits. At one time, anyone in Bluffton would have been able to identify who the cow in the photo belonged. That fact has since been lost over time.
According to the Icon publisher, Fred Steiner, his grandmother, Bertha Hahn, said the bridge was a location for young people to gather.
On the post card flip side is the wording "Pub. by M. Weixelbaum Co., Lima, O"
Stories Posted This Week
Friday, September 4, 2026
- Labor Day weekend pause for the Icons
- Celebrate Recovery program announced by Ebenezer Church
- Bluffton chamber resumes monthly meetings, Sept. 11
- P.S. Why read, like and share local news?
- September 4 Bluffton High School athletics lineup, streaming
- Pirate volleyball wins in 5 vs. Defiance Ayersville
- Pirate girls soccer blanked by Celina
- SummerFest will raise funds for Beaverdam-Richland Fire & Rescue
- 100 years of being Beavers: 2026 Bluffton University Homecoming, Oct. 2-4
- Beaverdam Bunch results from 2026 Allen County Junior Fair
Thursday, September 3, 2026
Wednesday, September 2, 2026
- Bluffton University offers $1,000 annual award to enrollees who visit campus
- Pirate golf 3rd in NWC quad
- Pirate volleyball sweeps Elida
- Pirate boys soccer loss vs. Van Buren
- Pirate girls soccer win vs. Spencerville
- August 2026 land transfers in the Bluffton school district
- Bluffton alumnus to share grandmother's fight for U.S. citizenship
Tuesday, September 1, 2026
- Beavers sports roundup, August 2026
- Pirate golfers split tri
- ICYMI: August 2026 Bluffton Icon Highlights
- Nisly to present colloquium on Hemingway’s “The Old Man and the Sea”
- Bluffton School district mails 2026-2027 Summer District Newsletter
- Emmanuel UCC is 2026 Bluffton Family Y coed softball champion