In a little town called Milton, West Virginia is Blenko Glass Company, which has been in business since 1893. The plant has been in Milton since 1921 Just take a look at all this beauty. I couldn't stop taking pictures because I love color.
I just had to have one of these tree ornaments. The hard part was deciding which one!
It was lunch time when I went out to the working area but the ovens were blazing.
So, I went to the glass garden.
Jennifer Pitcher I took this one especially for you. It is all blue glass.
I decided that this garden would not work in West Texas because we would get a hail that would break everything!
Here we are back in the workshop. These have something to do with molds.
These are molds.
The were giving a tour and this lady is about to blow this piece of molten glass.
Shaping the ball.
Here she goes. She blew to expand the glass.
Then they put that glass in a mold and she blew more to expand the glass to fit the mold.
She is marking the neck of shape with a metal instrument.
This is a wet wooden paddle. It was dripping with water.
I didn't get a picture of it, but another man brought a small molten ball of glass over and stuck it to the bottom of this vase. Now, she will break off the neck and the man on the left will carry the glass back to the furnace for more firing.
Some of the Blenko glass on display.
Founder, William Blenko was born in London, England December 8, 1854. His parents were working class people not wealthy by any means. William was interested in glass making so his mother encouraged him to pursue his passion (wise mother). William went to work for a glass craftsman. In the 1880s he went in to business for himself making round glass window panes. When he was 38 years old he made a move to New York City to learn about natural gas, and started one of the first gas fueled glass factories in the U.S. Even though he produced superior glass, craftsmen would not buy it because they wanted European glass. William went back to England to produce the same glass and sell to U.S. Later he moved back to Indiana and then set up his business in Milton, West Virginia because there was a good, sober, hardworking labor force there. Blenko glass is still in the family and Walter Blenko Jr., grandson of the founder, is president of the company.
I love this story! What perseverance and risk taking it is, and Wm Blenko realized the American dream through his hard work, and chasing his passion. That is what it takes, so go out there and get to work on what you are passionate about.
