August 8: Bluffton history hiding in plain sight

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.