Allen County makes permanent loan of Dillinger jail cell items to Bluffton Ohio Historical Society

Photos from Dan Groman

Organizers seek participants for Bluffton museum campaign

By Dan Groman Bluffton Ohio Historical Society Vice President

The Bluffton Ohio Historical Society achieved a milestone on September 15. 

Ron Epp, Clair Winebar, Dave Miller and I picked up components from the old Allen County Jail in Lima. We picked up the major pieces from the cell where John Dillinger was housed for four days in 1933. In addition to the bars and door, we picked up the sink, toilet, built-in shelf desk and chairs, a coat hanger/shelf from his cell, and even an old chair from the jail complex.   

Now it is time for our members (and others that may want to join the BOHS) to step up and get serious about a drive to fund a project for a museum building--whether it is an existing or new building to be built. 

If you are interested in being on a committee to begin a formal fundraising campaign and to develop a plan for a museum building, we need your help. Please let me know if you can help on this committee, and we will set up our first committee meeting to get this kicked off in the very near future.   

Dillinger and his gang robbed the Citizens National Bank in Bluffton and he was later captured and booked in Dayton before his transfer to the Allen County Jail for his trial. His buddies broke him out of jail, killing Sheriff Jess Sarber in the process and locked up the Sheriff’s wife in this cell before exiting the jail.

A big thank you goes out to Allen County and the Commissioners, as they worked hard to save these items for us, and they are now donated to us on a permanent loan basis. We hope that it won’t be too long until we can get them on permanent display.  

Thanks in advance!