SCHUMACHER HOMESTEAD
MUSEUM AND SWISS HERITAGE CENTER / 8350 Bixel Rd. / 567-387-9208
OUR NEXT EVENT:
Our Swiss Story with Fred Steiner
2:00 p.m. on April 19 at Schumacher Homestead
- Join The Swiss Community Historical Society for a sneak peek at the updated P.B. Amstutz book Historical Events of the Mennonite Settlement in Allen and Putnam Counties, Ohio, written in 1925.
Bluffton historian Fred Steiner will give an update on an expanded version, Our Swiss Story, to be published in late spring 2026. Steiner has been researching the non-Mennonite families of The Settlement known as the Swiss Reformed. Several families will be featured, plus more stories from the period.
The program will be on Sunday, April 19, at 2:00 p.m. at the Schumacher Homestead Historical Center at 8350 Bixel Road, Bluffton. Â
Homemade pies and hot beverages will be available. Two nut pies (hickory and walnut) made from Dr. Ollie Lugibihl’s famous recipe will be offered for silent auction to support the society. Â
The event will be livestreamed at https://fmcbluffton.org/first-mennonite-live-stream/ and subsequently available on the Swiss Historical YouTube channel.
Homestead Tours
The Schumacher Homestead offers a glimpse into the lives of Swiss immigrants in an area of Allen and Putnam counties known as the Settlement during the mid 19th century. Contact Neil Allen at 567-387-9208 or email directorschs@gmail.com
Scenes from 2025 events
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Swiss Heritage Center
NEW: Visit the Swiss Heritage Center, a repurposed timber-frame barn previously located on the Dan and Cindy Basinger Farm. The center is heated and air-conditioned and includes a large event space, classroom, artifact storage space, and public restrooms. CLICK TO ENLARGE
SWISS COMMUNITY HISTORICAL SOCIETY 