Lions and tigers and bears, oh my! Well, there weren’t any lions or tigers but there probably were bears (and definitely wolves) when the Swiss settlers began to arrive in the Bluffton/Pandora area. 

Join us on Saturday, July 11, from 1:00-4:00 p.m. at the Schumacher Homestead and Swiss Heritage Center, 8350 Bixel Road, for a look at the critters that our Swiss ancestors had to deal with when they began to build “The Settlement.”  

Tours of the 1843 Schumacher house, garden, tool house and summer kitchen will be available starting at the house. Admission is $5.00 for visitors sixteen and older; members and children are free.

A new translation of P.B. Amstutz’s history of the Settlement with additional information by Fred Steiner will be available for purchase and for pickup if you pre-ordered.

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On August 8, the 2nd Saturday activities will focus on “putting food by.” Guests can help docents get food ready for winter.

Participants are asked to bring a hot and cold dish and their own tableware, gather at 12:30 p.m. and plan to eat at 1:00 p.m. 

The day will include the Swiss Society’s annual business meeting and the election of officers, including a new interim President, Chuck Niswander.

The event will also launch an expanded version of the P.B. Amstutz book “Historical Events of the Mennoite Settlement in Allen and Putnam Counties” by Fred Steiner, who will be in attendance.

JUNE, JULY & AUGUST 2026

Visit the Schumacher Homestead for summer events and activities from 1:00-4:00 p.m. on the 2nd Saturday of June, July and August 2026.

JUNE 13 – Tag You’re It!: Swiss Settlement games & toys

JULY 11 – Critters, Spitters, and Gallinippers, Early Swiss critters

AUGUST 8 – Theme to be announced

The first floor of the farmhouse is handicapped accessible. New videos showing rooms on the upper floors have been produced with support from Visit Greater Lima. The farmhouse is air conditioned. Bathrooms are now available in the Swiss Heritage Center.

On October 23, 2025, WBGU-PBS premiered an episode of Scenic Stops & Stories featuring the Schumacher Homestead, 8350 Bixel Rd. The production took place during a Second Saturday event and includes interviews with board member Jason Althaus and docent Van Risser. The next event at the homestead will be the Christmas Open House on December 6-7.

Althaus provides an overview of the development of the historic site, including the new Heritage Center, which is a repurposed timber frame barn from a nearby farm. Risser demonstrates how the Schumacher family would have cooked using the fireplace in the summer kitchen. Using homegrown produce, he makes a one-pot stew or “Eintopf.”

The episode is titled “Amusement, Art and Family” and runs about 25 minutes. Additional subjects focus on northwest Ohio and include Sandusky’s Merry-Go-Round Museum, the Cedar Point Historical Museum, the Wood County Fair, Firefly Nights in Bowling Green and the Black Swamp Arts Festival.

The program is available to stream live at wbgu.org and WBGU’s YouTube channel at https://youtu.be/q2qrt8a9DC0/ The segment on the homestead begins at about the 20 minute mark.

Photos by Seth Bixel

The first photo (above) pictures an icebox dated back to around 1910. The icebox was the predecessor of the refrigerator. Featuring two compartments, the upper box was used for a large block of ice. Cool air from the ice circulated down to the second compartment to keep food cool.

The second photo shows an extraordinary working pump organ. Dated to around 1900, the organ is ornate and in beautiful condition. Organs such as this were most popular in homes and small churches from 1850-1930.

Next is our SCHS President, Gary Wetherwill holding a winnower. A winnower is a machine used to separate grain from chaff. A winnower cleans grain by shaking or tossing the mixture into the wind. The actual process is called winnowing. This winnower dates back to the 1880’s.

Lastly, we have a unique wooden dust pan with a broom. The dust pan is dated around 1880.

Update by Seth Bixel and Kaye Phillips on Facebook