BLENKO - Dreams Pass Into Reality!

Annis Nin said:
Dreams pass into the reality of action. From the actions stems the dream again; and this interdependence produces the highest form of living.

Blenko Glass in Milton West Virginia was a dream for William Blenko, from his actions and belief in himself and the people of Milton this dream became a one of the United States most noted glass manufacturers of tableware and antique glass.
William Blenko - proof that in America with hard work DREAMS DO COME TRUE!

William J. Blenko- The Blenko Glass Company was founded in 1893 by William J. Blenko in Kokomo, Indiana. He was born in 1853 in London's East End, on 36 Wharf Road. He worked in London glass houses when he was 13 years old and eagerly learned about glass formulation. In 1893 he came to America with the intention of starting the first glasshouse that could supply mouth blown (Antique) sheet glass for stained glass windows. At this time, all antique glass was produced in Europe (France, England, Germany) With the exception of Blenko Glass, it is still the same today.
William J. Blenko arrived in Kokomo, Indiana and set up a small shop. In time, he hired and trained other glass workers. William remained in Kokomo until 1903 when economics in America forced the factory to close. As a curious side note- William Blenko gave a solo piccolo performance on the evening of Tuesday, Feb. 13, 1894 in Kokomo.
Over the years, William became aware of the prejudice against American-made glass. Since the studios were owned by former Europeans, they had a natural bias in favor of European glass. William Blenko faced this prejudice until he died.
In1909 he started a factory in Point Marion, Pennsylvania, and later in Clarksburg, WV. Unfortunately, both of these ventures failed. A letter indicates he was working in Bellaire, Ohio in 1919 at an unknown glass factory for $40.00 a week. William was at some time offered a job at Tiffany's in New York for $50.00 a week and he apparently took this job. Finally in 1921, he decided to move to Milton, WV because of the low natural gas prices there. William was now 67 years old, an age when most people retire. Working by himself, he blew the glass cylinders, flattened them into sheets and then went on the road in his Model T car to sell them.
The original name of the company was Eureka Glass Company. It was called this because William J. Blenko spent years trying to find a ruby red sheet glass that would not change colors when painted and fired. When he developed this color, he threw his arms in the air and said, "Eureka, I've found it!" In 1923, his 26-year-old son William H. Blenko Sr. , with wife Marion and two-year-old son William Jr. joined him in Milton. This is when the factory finally took off.

William H. Blenko Sr. had the energy, ideas and an astute sense of sales. By 1927, Eureka antique sheet glass was specified for the Liverpool Cathedral. In 1929, sales were slow due to the depression in America. Bill Sr. seeing a need to make more business, contacted a Boston Importer, named Carbone. Carbone was importing his glass vases from Venice, Italy. Bill Blenko told him he could manufacture them, and save Carbone money. In reality, Bill Blenko did not have the skilled men to make them. When he returned to Milton, he found two Swedish glassworkers to work part-time. They were brothers Axel Mueller and Louie Miller. These two men were highly skilled in stemware manufacturing, and set the standard for all craftsmen to follow. The first samples were made in 1929. Thereafter, hand blown tableware was a major aspect of the Blenko .* The entire history of BLENKO GLASS COMPANY can be found on the BLENKO GLASS CO WEBSITE - William Blenko story was taken from this source.hjh