Peter Diller
Peter Diller, of the firm of Diller & Lugibihl, hardware merchants at Bluffton, was born in Putnam County, September 14, 1847. His parents, Peter and Barbara Diller, were formerly from Holmes County, and have a family of eight children, Christian, Adam, John, Benjamin, Peter, David, Magdalena and Mary.
From 1875 Historical Atlas of Allen County, Ohio, by H. H. Hardesty & Co. Publishers, Chicago.
Peter Diller, who for over 30 years has been one of the leading business men of Bluffton, was born in Riley township, Putnam County, Ohio, near the Allen County line, Septemer 14, 1847, when Bluffton was only a trading-point. He is a son of Peter and Barbara (Sutter) Diller.
The father of our subject was born in Alsace, France, February 26, 1813. His father died while he was but a boy, and in 1824 he and his brother John accompanied their mother to America. They located at first in Homes County, Ohio, and removed from there in 1836 to Putnam County, this State, where the mother died in 1847. Peter Diller, Sr., was a farmer all his life. He cleared a tract of 160 acres in Putnam County, which he entered from the government and to which he later added by purchase. His death occurred September 1, 1866. On January 5, 1837, he married Barbara Sutter, who was also born in Alsace, France, October 5, 1818, and came to Ohio with her parents in 1825. They settled in Virginia, and moved in 1834 to Putnam County, Ohio. She died April 5, 1860. They had eight children, our subject being the fifth in order of birth.
Peter Diller, our subject, remained on his father's farm until 18 years of age, and during this time worked for a season at the carpenter's trade. In 1869 he came to the village of Bluffton and for a short time was a clerk in the clothing and dry goods store of John Henderson. In June, 1872, in partnership with A. D. Lugibihl, he bought Ransom Barlett's hardware business, and together they operated on of the first hardware stores in Bluffton, continuing in business partnership for more than a quarter of a century, under the firm name of Diller & Lugibihl. The partnership was dissolved in November, 1898, when Mr. Diller sold his interest.
For some time Mr. Diller was engaged in the manufacture of a photographic attachment, the "Klay" multiplying plate older, a unique patented device for producing from 2 to 28 different pictures on a single plate. It was an attachment which proved of the greatest value to photographers, and Mr. Diller continued in the manufacturing business for four years.
In 1902 Mr. Diller embarked in his present large enterprise, the cream separator business, which has developed into one of the largest and most important industries of this section. He continued under his own name for two years, then formed a stock company and the business was incorporated under the laws of the State of Ohio, in November, 1904, as The Sanitary Cream Separator Company. Mr. Diller is president and general manager of this large concern. The introduction of the "Sanitary" cream separator has been of the greatest benefit to the dairyman and farmer. It has many noted advantages over its competitors in its general construction, and has been received with the greatest favor by the large dairymen, while it is equally useful to the farmer's wife who looks after the milk from but a few cows. The company gives employment to eight hands. Mr. Diller has other important interests, being the president of and a stockholder in the Comercial Bank & Savings Company. He is a member of the Council and was one of the water-works trustees. In politics he takes no very active part, but votes with the Republican party.
Mr. Diller was married May 24, 1876, in Tennessee, to Mary Stalder, who was born in Switzerland, and is a daughter of Ulrich Stalder. They came here in 1859. Mr. and Mrs. Diller have two children: Estella, born March 2, 1877, who is the wife of Dr. H. O. Frederick, of Bluffton; and Waldo E. born June 25, 1881, who is a stockholder in The Sanitary Cream Separator Company and represents its interests on the road.
For a long period Mr. Diller has been a leader in affairs of moment at Bluffton, and his fellow-citizens testified to their continued esteem and confidence by reelecting him a member of their governing body in November, 1905.
From History of Allen County, Ohio and Representative Citizens, Part 2, Edited & Compiled by Charles C. Miller, Ph. D.; Richmond & Arnold, Publishers, Chicago, 1906