1870 to 1899

6 days ago
2 min

When CVS was a clothing and shoe store

In 1898 the south side of CVS was a clothing and shoe store The Main Street building housing today's CVS Pharmacy served the community as...

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Dec 3
1 min

1870 TO 1899

Iconic Bluffton Christmas ads - Part 1

Santa's headquarters 130 years ago was Staater's Dry Goods featuring the latest iron and wooden toys To assist Bluffton shoppers,...

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Nov 25
1 min

PANDORA

Three Lugibihl sisters from Pandora

Three little rural Pandora Lugibihl sisters posed for the camera at the turn of an earlier century. They are from left, Edna Lugibihl...

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The day in 1880 when a Cheyenne lectured in Bluffton

Nov 24
4 min

1870 TO 1899

The day in 1880 when a Cheyenne lectured in Bluffton

Bluffton News: "He talked from the Indian standpoint" Imagine attending a lecture in Bluffton presented by a 19-year-old Cheyenne...

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Here's a Bluffton program you won't want to miss

Nov 15
1 min

1870 TO 1899

Here's a Bluffton program you won't want to miss

There's only one problem - it took place in 1898 Here's a program in Bluffton that no one would want to miss. The only problem is that it...

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Nov 13
1 min

1870 TO 1899

Another Bluffton brush with history

This Bluffton youth band performed for President Benjamin Harrison in Indianapolis In a Bluffton brush with history, these young Bluffton...

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Oct 23
1 min

1870 TO 1899

Ebenezer women's SS class in 1890s

Members last names included Diller, Bixel, Althaus, Geiger, Augsburger, Bucher, Amstutz, Gratz - probably related to half of the Bluffton...

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Oct 6
2 min

1870 TO 1899

Who changed Beaver Dam to Beaverdam?

When was the name change and what was its name prior to Beaver Dam? If you’ve ever wondered when and how Beaver Dam officially became...

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Oct 4
2 min

FORGOTTEN BLUFFTON

A handsome hearse - 1888 in Bluffton

Wilson brothers undertaking business located at what is today 206 N. Main St Our advertiser of the week is the Wilson Brothers...

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Sep 18
2 min

1870 TO 1899

Bluffton's earliest community band

1881 band included several businessmen and community leaders Civic pride is demonstrated in this 1881 photograph of one of several early...

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There's still time to purchase school supplies

Aug 28
1 min

1870 TO 1899

There's still time to purchase school supplies

Including books, pencils, paper and slates Despite the fact that the 2023-24 school year is already underway, there’s still a chance to...

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Looking for Benroth's Saloon or the Modern Suit and Skirt Co. ?

Aug 17
2 min

1870 TO 1899

Looking for Benroth's Saloon or the Modern Suit and Skirt Co. ?

Sorry to say, they are no longer in businesses Here’s a familiar Bluffton Main Street business block, home of three stores in an undated...

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135 years ago, this was the Jackson-Grove intersection of Bluffton

Aug 15
1 min

1870 TO 1899

135 years ago, this was the Jackson-Grove intersection of Bluffton

Barns, wooden fences and empty lots were all that occupied the neighborhood of Jackson and Grove streets in 1888, when this picture was...

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700 horses drove Bluffton's economy in the 1890

Jul 29
2 min

1870 TO 1899

700 horses drove Bluffton's economy in the 1890

Bluffton was never a one-horse town MANY HORSE PHOTOS AT THE BOTTOM OF THIS STORY Can you guess the number of horses in Richland Township...

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Last chance for a walk down Main Street in the 1890s

Jun 5
1 min

1870 TO 1899

Last chance for a walk down Main Street in the 1890s

Tuesday's walking tours at 4 and 6 p.m. A few spots remain on Tuesday afternoon's walking tour of Main Street Bluffton in 1890. Stop in...

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May 31
4 min

1870 TO 1899

All that remains is a cemetery

Ever hear of Cannonsburg, Hassan, Webster, Armorsville... the story of Bluffton's neighboring ghost towns A Bluffton News item from Oct....

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May 24
1 min

1870 TO 1899

The era before high school bands

Bluffton Merchants Band - all men and all brass (except for the drums) Meet members of the Bluffton Merchants Band from the early 1890s....

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Do not hitch your horse to a fire hydrant in Bluffton

May 11
2 min

1870 TO 1899

Do not hitch your horse to a fire hydrant in Bluffton

One of several rules governing water usage in the 1890s Imagine being required to turn off your water line each time the fire department...

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Five covered wagons and a performing bear

Apr 10
1 min

1870 TO 1899

Five covered wagons and a performing bear

Passed through Bluffton last Saturday - 125 years ago this month It happened in Bluffton 125 years ago this month - April 1898 A gang of...

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Apr 7
3 min

1870 TO 1899

The Beaver Dam saloon fight of 1895

No sooner did the authorities enter the saloon than a combat was entered into without taking time to sign articles of agreement. The...

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Julia Curtis and her brother, Matt Lucas, from California, sent this great “Bluffton” photo earlier this month.

As Julia explained she and Matt relaxed on a recent Sunday afternoon with some coffee (note the Bluffton mug) and some light reading (note the book).

Julia and Matt's grandparents are the late Evan and Marjorie Basinger. Evan and his brother, Francis, were Bluffton dentists.

Washington never slept here
but Dillinger robbed our bank
and Elvis stopped for gas

Blufftonforever.com Created for your enjoyment
by Fred Steiner
226 Grove St., Bluffton, Ohio 45817
fsteiner@roadrunner.com
419-889-3065