4th annual Bluffton History Day finds “History Hiding in Plain Sight”

MEDIA RELEASE__The Bluffton Ohio Historical Society hosts the 4th annual History Day on Saturday, August 8 from 10 a.m.-1 p.m., focusing on three well-known Bluffton businesses of yesteryear: Fett Hardware, Gillett Pastry Shop and Hankish Confectionery. The theme for the 2026 event is “History Hiding in Plain Sight.”

The renowned Gillett sausage rolls and Hankish’s family recipe ice cream will be served for free throughout the event in downtown Bluffton. 

The society will also display the cell that housed bank robber and gangster John Dillinger in the Allen County Jail in 1933. For a donation, interested parties may “serve time” in Dillinger’s jail cell. 

The Bluffton Ohio Historical Society will have a scavenger hunt and sidewalk chalk for the kids to enjoy. Visitors are invited to stroll along Main Street and view historic photos dotted around the downtown. While you’re visiting, you can check out Bluffton’s Farmers Market and the various retail shops and food options. 

The historical society also has chicken BBQ available for $10 each from Bubba C’s, which can be purchased in advance from board members and picked up at the Bluffton Presbyterian Church lawn. 

Program of the day:

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 from their family's recipe book, free of charge. 

This event is hosted by the Bluffton Ohio Historical Society, which has begun a $1.3M capital campaign to create a Bluffton History Museum on Main St. For more information, visit www.BlufftonForever.com.