Swiss Community Historical Society

06/01/2026

Second Saturday returns to the Swiss Community Historical Society’s Schumacher Homestead at 8350 Bixel Road, Pandora, Ohio June 13 from 1:00-4:00.

Living in “The Settlement” was a lot of work, but that didn’t mean there wasn’t time for play and recreation. Join us to learn and try both parlor and outdoor games and toys from the mid 1800’s.

Come play a round of croquet, roll hoops, walk on stilts, shoot marbles, play jacks and more. There will be a top throwing demonstration and jump rope making (for a small fee to cover supplies)

Docents will be available to tell you the story of the Schumacher family as you tour their 6 room home built in 1843.

The event is free, but donations will be gratefully accepted toward the support of the Society.

05/25/2026

Sunday, May 23, 2026

Yesterday a lovely couple was married at the Swiss Community Historical Society. Rain did not damper the festivities as the party then moved into in the Heritage Center, already prepared for the reception. The photographs were taken by ladies at Riley Creek Event Decor Rentals, who helped plan the event.

05/22/2026

May 22, 2026

We have hosted the Bluffton Elementary 1st grade for many years. This year we could utilize the Homestead, grounds and the Heritage Center. Mrs. Jamie Combs, Mrs. Amber Huffman, Mrs. Jessica Parke and Mrs. Terri Steinmetz brought their classes for a day of learning and fun!

All photos were either taken by a teacher listed above or a parent chaperone.

05/08/2026

May 8, 2026
Update on the SCHS Heritage Center

We are working on the handicapped section of our parking lot. This will make it much easier for visitors using walkers and wheelchairs to enter our Heritage Center.

Of course, the parking lot area will not just be asphalted, but the history of our region is being displayed even in this project. Gary Luginbill had saved and stored part of the curb from Pandora, Ohio, when the brick roads were removed on the streets years ago. This curbing made out of sandstone actually has the house numbers etched in the stone. Please check this out on your next visit to the Swiss Homestead and Heritage Center.

Brad Bame, Bluffton, helped with the excavating and 13 truck loads of stone were delivered for the under stone preparation for Asphalt. Big rocks were also arranged.

John Kohli, son of mason, Ed Kohli was arranging and placing the sandstone saved from the Pandora streets.

A lane was also cut to the overhead door on the west side of the basement. This new lane will help when driving to the back entrance when the ground is soft and more wet.

Photographs by Seth Bixel and Dan Diller
Update by Kaye Phillips and Seth Bixel

05/06/2026

On Thursday April 30, 2026 the Swiss Historical Society of Bluffton and Pandora, Ohio hosted our first school tour that included our new Heritage Center.

A group of 26 students, from Pre-K through 8th grade, plus quite a few parents and younger siblings, visited from a homeschool co-op from the Ada, Ohio area.

The group toured the buildings and grounds, then participated in activities: churning butter, weaving, dressing-up like a settler, grinding corn, feeding chickens, planning a journey using a model Conestoga wagon, and touring the Heritage Center's farming exhibit.

Weather was not conducive to eating outside, so the visitors ate their packed lunches in the Heritage Center.

Photographs were taken and shared by parents in the visiting group.

05/03/2026

**Please look in the comments below to see a video of the performance.

Thank you to Nancy Crawford Spallinger for this photo showing the activities at our SCHS Heritage Center on May 2, 2026. The Bluffton High School Jazz Band was performing for the Beaverdam School Reunion. We are so proud to host groups for such an occasion!

04/27/2026

Our link to the April 19, 2026 presentation by Fred Steiner is now up and running. Thank you to Ray Rayburn and Fred Steiner for their work after we experienced trouble with the sound.

(https://youtu.be/h_-Nns1xkAc)

Our Swiss Story - Fred Steiner

04/20/2026

April 19, 2026
Our 1st Spring SCHS Meeting in our new Heritage Center

Today was a momentous day for the Swiss Historical Society of Bluffton and Pandora, Ohio.

We had our first Spring Meeting in our new Heritage Center that featured Fred Steiner previewing his book, "Our Swiss Story". Eighty-eight people gathered to listen to Fred's presentation. Thanks to Ray Rayburn it was also our first event that was live-streamed. Eleven people/persons from around the country watched our event live from their homes.

We also enjoyed the company of those who attended, while sitting around the tables and enjoying pie baked by Joyce Schumacher, Marcia Lugibihl, Chrissy Lugibihl and Sue Habeggar. We even used vintage china while sipping hot beverages. It was a day to remember!

A silent pie auction of hickory and walnut pies made with Dr. Ollie Lugibihl's famous recipe ended our time together. All proceeds went to furnishing the new Children's Discovery Room in our center.

Thank you to everyone who made this day possible.

Kaye Phillips

04/14/2026

LIvestreaming our Spring Meeting and Preordering "Our Swiss Story" and "My Trip to the Orient"

https://youtu.be/h_-Nns1xkAc

This is a special announcement for our members and followers that cannot attend our Spring Meeting Program, Sunday April 19, at 2:00 in the Heritage Center. We wanted everyone to know that they may live stream the program by going to fmcbluffton.org and clicking on the live stream tab. The program will also be available on our YouTube channel after the event.

Fred Steiner, a Bluffton historian, will provide a preview of the new book, Our Swiss Story, to be published in the next few months by SCHS. The book has 264 pages and contains details of the Swiss immigrants who settled in Allen County’s Richland Township and Putnam County’s Riley Township beginning in the 1830s and 1840s.

Section 1 contains the reprint of the P.B. Amstutz book, Historical Events of the Mennonite Settlement in Allen and Putnam Counties, Ohio, written in 1925, which the society translated into English in 1978.

Section 2 is titled “Historical Events of the Swiss Reformed Settlement in Allen County Ohio,” by Fred Steiner. Chapters include:
• Arrival of the Swiss Reformed
• History of Emmanuel and St. John’s Reformed Churches
• Swiss pastors of those congregations
• Biographies of Swiss Reformed families including:
Althaus, Amstutz, Balmer, Criblez,
Hauenstein, Klay, Lauby,
Matter, Romey and Schifferly
• List of burials in the Gratz Cemetery from its inception to 1920

Section 3 is titled “Remarkable Women, Country Schools, Settlement Icons and Exodus from the Farm,” also by Fred Steiner. Chapters include:
• Jesse Huber’s historical perspective, with brief bios of:
•Elizabeth Deppler Murray
• Elizabeth Suter Schumacher
• Catherine Steiner Welty
• Kristina Brechbuhl Bucher
• Barbara Miere Huber
• Emma Hochsettler Augsburger
• Elizabeth Burkhard Locher
• Mary Ann Kohler Hotchstettler Steiner

A separate chapter titled “Trailblazers” features bios on:
• Agnes Amstutz, librarian
• Rosella Biederman Boehm, physician
• Ida Eby, physician
• Alice Mueller Settlage, dean of women
• Meredith Stepleton, principal and teacher
• Minerva Hilty, teacher
• Adella Steiner Oyer, teacher
• Theola Steiner Bonnet Sutermeister, teacher
• Harriette Criblez Luginbuhl, teacher
• Lavina Hilty Marr, suffragette
• Reigh F. Brandenburg Amstutz, pioneer coach

A chapter titled “Icons of the Settlement” features bios on
• P.B. Amstutz
• David Rothen
•Five politicians
S.S. Yoder, B.F. Welty, Cyrus Locher, Ralph Locher, Charles Hilty
• Five educators
Gerhard Buhler, Sidney Hauenstein, Paul Stauffer, Sidney Stettler, Wilford Geiger

The book closes with a section of Swiss business owners.

Steiner has prepared a second book based on the travels abroad of P.B. Amstutz, titled My Trip to the Orient.(40 pgs)

Either or both books may be preordered by contacting Susie Gratz at [email protected]

Please include the following information.

Name
Address
Phone
Email Address

Reserve _______ copies of Our Swiss Story $30

____copies of My Trip to the Orient $15

Deadline for confirmed reserve copies is April 30.

We will contact you when the books have arrived and inform you when and where to pick up your order. Those who need shipping will be charged an extra fee for those costs.

We anticipate there will be copies available for sale in addition to the reserved copies.

Thank you for your continued support of the Swiss Community Historical Society.

04/10/2026

April 19 program will be open to the public and livestreamed