Prior to 1897 Bluffton residents' water came from wells. The town-wide water system developed shortly after that.

Here is one of the most unusual photos of Bluffton you will ever see. It's a test of water pressure in 1897 or 1898. The test occurred during the opening of the Bluffton water plant. It demonstrated that the pressure enabled water to shoot higher than Main Street buildings, a plus for the fire department.

This photo is taken on Main Street looking north at the Main-Cherry intersection. This test took several minutes as you can see the water running in the gutter on the dirt street. Sidney Hauenstein took this photo.

By the way, Main Street was not yet paved, so you can imagine the condition of the street following this test.

In the place of today’s Citizens National Bank stands the Russell Hotel.

This photo is one of nearly 170 photos taken of Bluffton prior to 1911. It's published in "The Bluffton We Never Knew," a project of Bluffton Icon. The book will be available in December.

Presale order are taken now at a $3 discount. An order blank is attached. (Photo from Allen County, Ohio, Historical Society)