Save the date: August 8 Bluffton History Day
MEDIA RELEASE__Bluffton's 4th annual History Day will be celebrated on Saturday, August 8 from 10 a.m.-1 p.m., focusing on three celebrated Bluffton businesses of yesteryear: Fett Hardware, Gillett Pastry Shop and Hankish Confectionery.
The Bluffton Ohio Historical Society will also display the cell that housed bank robber and gangster John Dillinger in the Allen County Jail in 1933.
10 a.m. - Q&A and display of memorabilia from Fett Hardware, by Ed Fett and family at Bluffton Senior Center, 132 N. Main St.
11 a.m. - Q&A with Dan Gillett, free Gillett sausage rolls, and display from Gillett's bakery in the alleyway between Fortman Insurance and Sielschott, Walsh, Keifer, Regula & Sherer CPAs, Inc., 109 and 111 N. Main St.
12 p.m.- Q&A session with Hankish family members and display of shop memorabilia in the alley next to Bluffton Presbyterian church. The Hankish family will provide ice cream and sweet treats from their family's recipe book, free of charge.
The Bluffton Ohio Historical Society has begun a $1.3M capital campaign to create a Bluffton History Museum on Main St. For more information, visit www.BlufftonForever.com.
The society meets at 7:00 p.m. on the second Wednesday of the month at the 1899 Depot at 405 N. Spring St., Buckeye Park.
Stories Posted This Week
Saturday, August 15, 2026
Friday, August 14, 2026
Thursday, August 13, 2026
- Families and customers create an oral history of memorable Bluffton businesses
- Local students travel to France, Monaco and Italy
- Move on Up: New drug for COVID-19 exposure
- Back to School Days at Bluffton Public Library
- 50 for 250 performances at Bluffton Public Library
- Community meal on August 20 at Bluffton Senior Center
Wednesday, August 12, 2026
- Obituary for centenarian Lois Jean Andreas
- Thomas "Tom" J. Basinger served in the U.S. Army
- President Sider to present Aug. 25 State of the University address
- August 10 council recap: Spending increase for Benroth bridge repairs
- MHCO requests zoning change for construction of senior duplexes
- WIP Wednesday: 1915 kitchen gets a charming DIY remodel