When Santa Claus lived in Bluffton
In the early 1950s Paul Diller took a series of black and white portraits of Main Street men. This is one of those photos. It is of Lazarus Basinger, also known as "Santa Claus."
This photo was taken in front of Leland Gerber's Neu-Art Photo Studio on South Main Street. Today it is part of the Citizens National Bank parking lot.
Viewers with stories about Lazarus are welcome to send them to [email protected].
Stories Posted This Week
Thursday, August 27, 2026
- President Sider introduces Reinvest, Reinvent, Reimagine framework in State of the University
- August 27 Bluffton High School athletics lineup, streaming
- Bluffton girls tennis loss vs. Wapakoneta
- Pirate volleyball sweeps Rockets
- EMS Chief Noah Babcock is Sept. 1 Bluffton Lions speaker
- Mercy Mercy Me (The Ecology): Air pollution and rheumatoid arthritis
Wednesday, August 26, 2026
- Aug. 24 Bluffton Council recap: MHCO duplexes and long range Village planning
- Beaverdam installs AED at village park
- Pirate girls tennis edges St. Mary
- Pirate boys soccer tames Bearcats
- WIP Wednesday: Window on your world
- OPEN POLL: What do farmers wish non-farmers knew?
- 2026 PorchFest preview: LeBlanc Zepplin, CAWZ, Marlena Rock
Tuesday, August 25, 2026
- Headlines on the Ada Icon, August 22- 25
- Sue Corle worked for Ohio Northern University
- Pandora's Niese Ag LLC wins 2026 Red Gold Stewardship award
- Goshen College innovation leader to explore AI through a liberal arts lens
- Pirate volleyball loses to Shawnee
- Pirate boys golf sweeps NWC tri
- Figurines and household items recontextualized in "Amusings" exhibit
- Bruce Chesser: A Ceramic Retrospective, Aug. 24-Sept 26
- Bluffton Lions reach 80% of All Abilities Playground fundraising goal