Here’s an aerial view of Bluffton taken in the early 1950s. Be careful, you may end up spending more time studying this photo than there are daylight hours.
In the 70 years since this photo was taken many changes took place. Here’s a partial list to notice:
• The Victorian school at the corner of Jackson and Church
• The original St. Mary’s Catholic Church facing Lawn Avenue
• No parking lot behind Main Street
(Those buildings are Steiner stockyards)
• No dentist office or Family Dollar
• Bluffton College property is undeveloped
(No stadium, Founders Hall, or Marbeck Center)
• Where’s Garmatter Street?
(Development is just now underway in the photo)
There’s more to see, or to not see. The closer you examine this photo, the more interesting it becomes.
Kibler Street as it connects to Grove Street.