MAY 1 MEDIA RELEASE__The next program in a series coordinated by the Bluffton Ohio Historical Society, Swiss Family Migration with Fred Steiner, takes place at 6:00 p.m. on Wednesday, May 21, at the Bluffton Public Library. 

Steiner’s photo presentation will tell the story of his great-grandparents, Rudolf and Barbara Amstutz Althaus. In 1845, at age 23, Rudolf immigrated to America from Switzerland. After traveling throughout the Midwest, he settled in Bluffton in 1857 and married Barbara Amstutz, who was born in Wayne County, Ohio and was also of Swiss lineage. Rudolf’s brother, Gotthard, also immigrated to the United States. He moved to rural Bluffton and was a farmer.

Rudolf operated a small one-room general store that dates to the 1890s. There he sold items, many imported from Switzerland. According to BOHS president Ron Epp, the historical society plans on preserving the Althaus store by moving the building from its original location on Elm St. near Lawn to a nearby location for restoration.

Rudolf Althaus was a trained artist, having studied in England prior to immigrating to the United States.  His paintings were Swiss scenes, sold to his Swiss compatriots. His general store was also his studio. Many of his oil paintings survive today and will be shown at the program. His art reflects the Hudson School of painting, popular at the time he was a young man.

“While he left Switzerland, in his mind he retained images of the European mountains and scenery. For the rest of his life he painted those scenes from memory using oil and some pastel,” says Steiner.

The program is free and open to the public. RSVPs are encouraged by emailing [email protected] or calling the Bluffton Public Library at 419-358-5016.

For more information about the Bluffton Ohio Historical Society, visit www.BlufftonForever.com/  

In addition to providing local history programs, the society meets at 7:00 p.m. on the second Wednesday of each month in the historic 1899 LE&W Depot (also known as the Bluffton Sportsmen Club), 405 N. Spring Street.

The society is an IRS §501(c)(3) organization whose mission is to preserve, display and promote artifacts and information related to the history of Bluffton, Ohio, for the education and enjoyment of all.