Pioneer Czechs
In Colfax County
Written in 1926.
(Continued from last week.)
Schuyler has its own electric plant, water system, sewage system, sixty blocks of paved streets, a large mill, two elevators (one owned by farmers), three fine public schools and one High School, five churches (one a Bohemian Catholic church), a Catholic school where Bohemian is taught, a public library, town hall (Bohemians donated the tower clock in same) and a county court house. The court house was built in 1924 at a cost of $250,000, the old court house was built in 1872 at a cost of $25,000—thus did the years bring changes. The old court house was presented to the city for a museum and the grounds for a park. There are three parks and a fine cemetery. Janecek’s Opera House, built 1892 at a cost of $35,000 and Rank’s Hall, built in 1888 at a cost of $25,000, both built by Bohemians, have passed into other hands.
The direction of civic affairs is almost entirely in the hands of Bohemians. The mayor is Edward Zerzan, treasurer A. Hejtmanek, clerk George McKenzie (partly Bohemian) and J. H. Otradovsky, A. M. Salak, Will Dvorak and L. Vacha are members of the City Council. Business too is largely in the hands of Bohemians. Two banks are directed by Bohemians, Banking House of F. Folda and Schuyler State Bank.
Bohemians here gather together by means of various lodges, Bohemian and American, and with the exception of the Catholic societies, their meeting place is the C. S. P. S. Hall, built in 1687, with an addition built in 1896, at a cost $4,000.00. The members of the following lodges assemble here: Zapadni Jednota (Western Union) No. 42, C. S. P. S., (Bohemian Slavonian Benevolent Society); Vytrvalost No. 34, J. C. D. (Persistency, Union of Bohemian Women); Tel. Jednota Sokol (Sokol Society); the ladies auxiliary thereof called Sokoly Vlastenky; lodge Blanik, Z. C. B. J., (Western Bohemian Fraternal Union)f Modern Woodmen and Woodmen of the World; dramatic societies of the Sokol and Western Bohemian Fraternal Union lodges; Dancing Club of Old Married Bachelors; the woman’s literary club and others. Bohemians are active and work in harmony, regardless of politicial or religious affiliation. The Catholic societies, listed in chapter on Lodges, meet in their church. During the war (1914–1918) all sixteen lodges here banded together and formed a branch of the Bohemian National Alliance, which alliance operated among Bohemians all over the United States, for the purpose of aiding Bohemia to free itself from the dominion of Austria. For this purpose the Schuyler branch gathered $15,100.89, aside from this Schuyler Bohemians subscribed $1,000 to the American Red Cross. The Bohemian women also formed a branch of the “Bees”, an organization that knitted and sewed for Bohemian legionnaires in France and Siberia, in the value of $3,000.00,
BOHENIAN PIONEERS OF SCHUYLER
The first was FRANK FOLDA, whose biography appeared in a previous issue.
JOHN LAPACEK, ANTON LANGER asd FRANK OTRADOVSKY. Their biographies also appeared in previous issues.
In 1870 the following were living here; Joseph Sramek, a blacksmith, Frank Pesek, a blacksmith and later owner of a saloon, and Anton Jansa. Further particulars unknown.
In 1872 came JOSEPH DVORAK, with his parents, George and Theresa. He was born in Bohemia in 1846 and came to Omaha in 1868 from Mishicott, Wisconsin. In Omaha he conducted one of the first grocery stores and saloons operated by Bohemian, in company with his future brotner-in-law Joseph W. Zerzan. In 1872 he married Anna Sonka (Shonka) and moved to Schuyler, where he had at first a general merchandise store, then clerked. In 1876–1880 he was county clerk, the first Bohemian ccounty office-holder. He died in 1897 and is buried in Abie, Butler county.
In 1873 the following came:
VACLAV MALY, born in the village of Vetly, county Melnik, Bohemia, November 24, 1846. He came to this country with the members of his family, settling near Mishicott, Manitowoc, county, Wisconsin, in 1854. Eleven years later, as a nineteen-year-old boy, he came west via St. Joseph, Mo., to the vicinity of West Point, where his brother lived: He liked not the waste lands, although he foresaw their future, and returned to Omaha, where he hired to a freighter going to the gold mines of Nevada and California. From California he went by boat via Panama to New York and then again to Wisconsin. Having conferred with his father, he bought a team and wagon in Chicago and the entire family left for West Point, Nebraska, where they settled on a homestead. Eight years later, having sold it with a profit, Mr. Maly moved to Schuyler, where he worked in Frank Folda’s store. A year later he established his own store and with the exception of an interval, continued until 1902, when he retired, accupying his leisure time as agent for various Bohemian papers. In 1869 he married Margaret Fisher. Nine years later she died, leaving two children and a year after that he married Mary Markovic, one son, now in Lincoln, Nebraska, having been born to them. In 1924 his second wife died and he went to live with his son, dying there at the age of 78, buried in Schuyler.
PETER RANK, born in Miletice near Nova Kdyne, in 1844. He came to Pittsburg, Pa. in 1866, by trade a carpenter. In 1868 he married Mary Killian, who was born in 1850, and they moved to Saunders county, Nebraska, settling on a homestead near Morse Bluff. At first he worked as a section hand, while his wife ran the homestead. In 1873 they moved to Schuyler, where he established a saloon. Later he built a hall, three stores downstairs and a dancing and lodge hall upstairs. It burned down and in 1888 he built a large brick hall, still standing. His wife died in 1890, he in 1892, meeting with death when an explosion of gas occurred in the basement of the hall. Both are buried in Schuyler.
JOHN JANECEK, born in Zehuzice, Caslav.
In 1875 the following came:
FRANK VANICEK and F. F. SVOBODA, whose biographies were given in previous issues.
JOSEPH KUBIK, born in 1857 in Zabori, County Skuc, Bohemia. His parents, Anton and Frances (Vosmek) Kubik came to Iowa in 1867, farming there. In 1870 they came to Butler county, Nebraska. Young Kubik came to Schuyler in 1875, working as a bartender, later having his own saloon. In 1879 he married Antonie Oboril. They had nine children; Julia (Mrs. Fr. Novacek), Rose (Mrs. D. Cleary), Emma (Mrs. Demel), Joseph, Antonia (Mrs. Stejskal), Vlasta, Lumir and John. Kubik was always an ardent patriot, a member of several lodges. He died April 30, 1900 and is buried in Schuyler.
In 1876 Joseph W. Zerzan came. He was born in Horni Ujezd, Bohemia, April 4, 1848, and died in Schuyler, February 20, 1915. He came to this country, to Cedar Rapids, Iowa, with his parents, in 1866, and taught school there for two years. In 1868 he came to Omaha,
(To be continued.)
