Oral history is fascinating but is it all true? Lima Rotarians heard from a Bluffton historian on Monday about what he has researched.
Fred Steiner talked about his presentation called “4 Guys Walk into a Bluffton Bank and the Rest is Bluffton Oral History”. It was August 14th, 1933, the day that John Dillinger and his gang were in Bluffton. Steiner says there is one firsthand account of the incident that was written, and dozens of oral history accounts passed down the generations that are not quite accurate.
Fred Steiner explains, "Often I’ll run into someone who has another story, another version I haven’t heard. I’ve basically collected them because of it’s of interest to me. So, I’m always looking for a John Dillinger Bluffton story and I’ve found two this year already that I’ve never heard.”
You can find out more about the oral histories of Bluffton online at blufftonforever.com.
