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2nd Saturdays at the Homestead

~ BlufftonPandoraSCHS

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.

1st Spring SCHS Meeting in new Swiss Heritage Center

~ SCHS webmaster

By Kaye Phillips on Facebook

April 19 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, a video of the program is available on YouTube CLICK HERE. 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.

Scenic Stops & Stories at Schumacher Homestead

~ SCHS webmaster

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.

Our Swiss Story with Fred Steiner

~ BlufftonPandoraSCHS

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.  

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.  

The event will be livestreamed at https://fmcbluffton.org/first-mennonite-live-stream/ and subsequently available on the Swiss Historical YouTube channel.

Four new acquisitions: An ice box, a pump organ, a winnower, and a wooden dust pan with broom.

~ BlufftonPandoraSCHS

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