Note: The Icon acquired a manuscript titled “A Brief History of Bluffton’s Industrial Developments.” This publication was prepared by the classes in Marketing and Small Business Administration from Bluffton College, under the director of Dr. Howard Raid. Publication date is May 1959. We’ve updated some current addresses so viewers may identify locations.

Vance’s Asherie
Owners: Thompson and Vance

This word, “asheries,” is probably an odd one to most of us living in 1959. In the 1880s and even earlier, however, asheries was the name of one of Bluffton’s industries.

Vance’s Asherie, which ceased operation in 1887, was located on East Jefferson Street by Riley Creek.

The owners, Thompson and Vance, probably spent many 12-hour days plying their trade.

Farmers of the area would burn logs and then gather the ashes and haul them to the asherie. There, the ashes were processed to extract potash.

The potash was shipped to Lima and Findlay for further processing to obtain lye.

Lye was used for the manufacture of some types of soap.

Reference: Wilhelm Amstutz
Interviewers: Harry Goner and Barry Taylor