Main Street mid-1940s
This is Main Street Bluffton in the mid-1940s.
There is a 1938 Chevy parked in from of the A and P. There is a newer Chrysler product, probably a 1945-46 model also in the photo. Plus, there's no Shannon Theatre – it wasn't built yet.
Lots of other things to notice:
• Gas pump on the far left side of the photo
• The Charles Company where Citizens National Bank is today
• One stoplight at the Cherry-Main intersection
• Notice the street lamps
• Notice the condition of the sidewalks
We wonder if this was taken on the Fourth of July. No one on Main Street, except for 48-star flags.
Jim Diller shared this photo with the Icon. It was originally a color slide taken by his father, Paul Diller.
Stories Posted This Week
Sunday, November 8, 2026
Saturday, November 7, 2026
- Pirates Essinger and Gatchel finish cross country season at OHSAA Championships
- Nov. 7 Bluffton Schools athletics lineup, streaming
- Pirate football hits Archbold roadblock in playoff loss
- Forum: Vaughn explores biblical and multicultural accounts of spirits and exorcism
- Bluffton University relaunches Leadership Development Program with NetVUE grant support
- Weekend Doctor: When distraction becomes the default
Friday, November 6, 2026
Thursday, November 5, 2026
Wednesday, November 4, 2026
- Klausing graduates from Ohio Bankers League Bank Management School
- Joellen Kay Lehman, 46, owned and operated Folly Faces
- Dec. 4-5 Messiah performances continue holiday tradition at Bluffton and Findlay
- Future Beaver Saturdays invite students to experience Bluffton University
- Ellie Bogart named BHS Student of the Month for October 2026
- Walter "Steve" Suter, 73, worked at Kirtland’s Auto Repair
- Grab an afterschool snack at the Bluffton Public Library