Bluffton, originally known as Shannon, is a

village A village is a clustered human settlement or community, larger than a hamlet but smaller than a town (although the word is often used to describe both hamlets and smaller towns), with a population typically ranging from a few hundred to ...

Allen Allen, Allen's or Allens may refer to: Buildings * Allen Arena, an indoor arena at Lipscomb University in Nashville, Tennessee * Allen Center, a skyscraper complex in downtown Houston, Texas * Allen Fieldhouse, an indoor sports arena on the Unive ...

and

Hancock Hancock may refer to: Places in the United States * Hancock, Iowa * Hancock, Maine * Hancock, Maryland * Hancock, Massachusetts * Hancock, Michigan * Hancock, Minnesota * Hancock, Missouri * Hancock, New Hampshire ** Hancock (CDP), New Hampshir ...

counties in the

U.S. state In the United States, a state is a constituent political entity, of which there are 50. Bound together in a political union, each state holds governmental jurisdiction over a separate and defined geographic territory where it shares its sover ...

Ohio Ohio () is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States. Of the fifty U.S. states, it is the 34th-largest by area, and with a population of nearly 11.8 million, is the seventh-most populous and tenth-most densely populated. The sta ...

. The population was 4,125 at the 2010 census. Bluffton is home to

Bluffton University Bluffton University is a private Mennonite university in Bluffton, Ohio. It is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission, with four programs that have earned programmatic accreditation: dietetics, education, music, and social work. The unive ...

, a four-year educational institution affiliated with

Mennonite Church USA The Mennonite Church USA (MC USA) is an Anabaptist Christian denomination in the United States. Although the organization is a recent 2002 merger of the Mennonite Church and the General Conference Mennonite Church, the body has roots in the Radi ...

. Bluffton is served by the Bluffton general aviation airport. Bluffton participates in the

Tree City USA The Arbor Day Foundation is an American 501(c)(3) nonprofit membership organization dedicated to planting trees. The Arbor Day Foundation has more than one million members and has planted more than 350 million trees in neighborhoods, communities ...

program. The Allen County portion of Bluffton is part of the

Lima Lima ( ; ), originally founded as Ciudad de Los Reyes (City of The Kings) is the capital and the largest city of Peru. It is located in the valleys of the Chillón River, Chillón, Rímac River, Rímac and Lurín Rivers, in the desert zone of t ...

Metropolitan Statistical Area In the United States, a metropolitan statistical area (MSA) is a geographical region with a relatively high population density at its core and close economic ties throughout the area. Such regions are neither legally Incorporated town, incorporate ...

, while the Hancock County portion is part of the Findlay Micropolitan Statistical Area.

Geography

Bluffton is located at (40.893881, -83.891605). According to the

United States Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau (USCB), officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the U.S. Federal Statistical System, responsible for producing data about the American people and economy. The Census Bureau is part of the ...

, the village has a total area of , of which is land and is water. Riley Creek flows through Bluffton.

Demographics

2010 census

As of the

census A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording and calculating information about the members of a given population. This term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common censuses incl ...

of 2010, there were 4,125 people, 1,428 households, and 913 families living in the village. The

population density Population density (in agriculture: standing stock or plant density) is a measurement of population per unit land area. It is mostly applied to humans, but sometimes to other living organisms too. It is a key geographical term.Matt RosenberPopul ...

was . There were 1,522 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the village was 95.3%

White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no hue). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully reflect and scatter all the visible wavelengths of light. White on ...

, 1.6%

African American African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American" generally denotes descendants of ens ...

, 0.2% Native American, 0.9%

Asian Asian may refer to: * Items from or related to the continent of Asia: ** Asian people, people in or descending from Asia ** Asian culture, the culture of the people from Asia ** Asian cuisine, food based on the style of food of the people from Asi ...

, 0.8% from

other races Other often refers to: * Other (philosophy), a concept in psychology and philosophy Other or The Other may also refer to: Film and television * ''The Other'' (1913 film), a German silent film directed by Max Mack * ''The Other'' (1930 film), a ...

, and 1.2% from two or more races.

Hispanic The term ''Hispanic'' ( es, hispano) refers to people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or Hispanidad. The term commonly applies to countries with a cultural and historical link to Spain and to Vic ...

Latino Latino or Latinos most often refers to: * Latino (demonym), a term used in the United States for people with cultural ties to Latin America * Hispanic and Latino Americans in the United States * The people or cultures of Latin America; ** Latin A ...

of any race were 1.5% of the population. There were 1,428 households, of which 29.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 53.4% were

married couples Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognized union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children, and between t ...

living together, 8.1% had a female householder with no husband present, 2.5% had a male householder with no wife present, and 36.1% were non-families. 33.2% of all households were made up of individuals, and 18.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.31 and the average family size was 2.95. The median age in the village was 34 years. 19.9% of residents were under the age of 18; 21.8% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 19.2% were from 25 to 44; 20% were from 45 to 64; and 19% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the village was 45.6% male and 54.4% female.

2000 census

As of the

of 2000, there were 3,896 people, 1,329 households, and 851 families living in the village. The

was 1,170.2 people per square mile (451.7/km²). There were 1,427 housing units at an average density of 428.6 per square mile (165.5/km²). The racial makeup of the village was 97.82%

, 0.77%

, 0.05% Native American, 0.54%

, 0.18% from

, and 0.64% from two or more races.

of any race were 1.18% of the population. There were 1,329 households, out of which 28.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 54.3% were

living together, 7.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 35.9% were non-families. 33.1% of all households were made up of individuals, and 18.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.32 and the average family size was 2.99. In the village, the population was spread out, with 19.7% under the age of 18, 22.3% from 18 to 24, 21.3% from 25 to 44, 16.8% from 45 to 64, and 20.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 33 years. For every 100 females there were 76.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 73.4 males. The median income for a household in the village was $43,208, and the median income for a family was $54,948. Males had a median income of $40,208 versus $21,563 for females. The

per capita income Per capita income (PCI) or total income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. It is calculated by dividing the area's total income by its total population. Per capita i ...

for the village was $18,711. About 4.9% of families and 5.7% of the population were below the

poverty line The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for t ...

, including 3.6% of those under age 18 and 10.6% of those age 65 or over.

History

The village was founded in 1831 by Swiss Mennonites, German Reformists and Irish Catholics. It was originally named 'Crogan's Corners' after the postmaster. When the citizens chose to incorporate as a village, the Irish suggested the name 'Shannon' because of the green fields around the area. As there was already a village named Shannon in the state, the town was renamed Bluffton for the hilly terrain of the town site. Bank robber

John Dillinger John Herbert Dillinger (June 22, 1903 – July 22, 1934) was an American gangster during the Great Depression. He led the Dillinger Gang, which was accused of robbing 24 banks and four police stations. Dillinger was imprisoned several times and ...

robbed the Bluffton Bank (now known as Citizens National Bank of Bluffton) of $6,000 on August 14, 1933. In 2011, Bluffton celebrated its 150th birthday with a series of town-wide events. WBWH-LP (96.1 FM) serves the Bluffton community as its only full-time radio station.

Education

Elementary and secondary

Bluffton High School sports participate in the

Northwest Conference The Northwest Conference (NWC) is an athletic conference which competes in the NCAA's Division III. Member teams are located in the states of Oregon and Washington. It was known as the Pacific Northwest Conference from 1926 to 1984. History ...

, an athletic body sanctioned by the

Ohio High School Athletic Association The Ohio High School Athletic Association (OHSAA) is the governing body of athletic programs for junior and senior high schools in the state of Ohio. The OHSAA governs eligibility of student athletes, resolves disputes, organizes levels of compe ...

(OHSAA) which includes the

Ada Ada may refer to: Places Africa * Ada Foah, a town in Ghana * Ada (Ghana parliament constituency) * Ada, Osun, a town in Nigeria Asia * Ada, Urmia, a village in West Azerbaijan Province, Iran * Ada, Karaman, a village in Karaman Province, ...

Bulldogs, Allen East Mustangs, Bluffton Pirates,

Columbus Grove Columbus Grove is a village in Putnam County, Ohio, United States. The population was 2,137 at the 2010 census. Etymology and history Columbus Grove was founded in 1842. A large share of the early settlers being natives of Columbus, Ohio cause ...

Bulldogs, Convoy Crestview Knights, Delphos Jefferson Wildcats, Lincolnview Lancers, Paulding Panthers, and Spencerville Bearcats.

Higher education

Bluffton is home to

, a four-year educational institution affiliated with the

Economy

Bluffton is located approximately halfway between Lima and Findlay in northwest Ohio along

Interstate 75 Interstate 75 (I-75) is a major north–south Interstate Highway in the Great Lakes and Southeastern regions of the United States. As with most Interstates that end in 5, it is a major cross-country, north–south route, traveling from S ...

. One of the oldest companies in the village is the Bluffton Slaw Cutter Company, which has been making a unique food grater/cutter designed in 1915. The company makes several variations of the product using equipment of the same vintage as the design. Modern manufacturing in Bluffton includes the international firm SumiRiko (formerly DTR), a cooperative venture between Duramax and Tokai Rubber of Japan, that makes rubber components for the auto industry. GROB Systems, a division of the German company GROB Group, produces machining and automation systems at its plant in Bluffton. Diamond Manufacturing of Bluffton produces metalwork and leases warehousing space. The downtown area is anchored by the 19th century

town hall In local government, a city hall, town hall, civic centre (in the UK or Australia), guildhall, or a municipal building (in the Philippines), is the chief administrative building of a city, town, or other municipality. It usually houses ...

and includes a local

farmers market A farmers' market (or farmers market according to the AP stylebook, also farmer's market in the Cambridge Dictionary) is a physical retail marketplace intended to sell foods directly by farmers to consumers. Farmers' markets may be indoors or ...

on Saturday mornings from May through October. With an average of 20 vendors, shoppers can choose from local foods and produce, as well as potted herbs, annuals, perennials, shrubs, and trees.

Ten Thousand Villages Ten Thousand Villages is a nonprofit fair trade organization that markets handcrafted products made by disadvantaged artisans from more than 120 artisan groups in more than 35 countries. As one of the world’s largest and oldest fair trade or ...

is a fair-trade retailer that was founded in Bluffton. The shop sells products made by artisans in developing countries. The Shannon Theatre is a

movie theater A movie theater (American English), cinema (British English), or cinema hall ( Indian English), also known as a movie house, picture house, the movies, the pictures, picture theater, the silver screen, the big screen, or simply theater is a ...

in the downtown area. Right next door is the original Shirley's Gourmet Popcorn, a franchise founded in Bluffton after people came to the theater just to buy popcorn. Other leisure opportunities are the Bluffton University nature preserve, Motter Metro Park, Bluffton Family Recreation Center, a bike and pedestrian pathway, and Southgate Lanes. A Collage of Bluffton, Ohio

Notable people

* Tommy Boutwell, American football player * John Travis: Doctor and pioneer in the Wellness movement was born in Bluffton. *

Joe Schriner Joseph Charles Schriner (born March 3, 1955) is an American political activist and journalist. Schriner has run for the United States presidency in six consecutive election cycles spanning from 2000 to 2020. Advocating Christian democratic poli ...

, presidential candidate *

Tobias Buckell Tobias S. Buckell (born 1979) is a New York Times Bestselling author and World Fantasy Award winner born in the Caribbean. He grew up in Grenada and spent time in the British and US Virgin Islands, which influence much of his work. His novels an ...

, science fiction writer * D. Michael Crites, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio in the administrations of President Ronald Reagan and George H.W. Bush * Larry Cox, Major League baseball player * James McIntire, Washington state treasurer

Annual activities

*Blaze of Lights Festival - Saturday after Thanksgiving *National Night Out - Early August * Festival of Wheels Car Show - June *Bluffton Arts & Crafts Festival - First Saturday in June * Trout Derby - first Sunday in May * Ride to Remember - Annual 100 mile bicycle ride organized by the Bluffton Lion's club.

References

External links

* {{authority control Villages in Allen County, Ohio Villages in Hancock County, Ohio Villages in Ohio Populated places established in 1831 1831 establishments in Ohio