Page:Pioneer Czechs in Colfax County 27.jpg



SCHUYLER: Tel. Jednota Sokol (gymnastic); T. J. Sokolky Vlastenky (women’s auxiliary of above). Zapadni Jednota (Western Union) No. 42, Boh. Slav. Benev. Society. Lodge Blanik No. 93, Western Bohemian Fraternal Union. Lodge Vytrvalost (Persistency) No. 34, Bohemian Ladies’ Union, Lodge St. Joseph No. 122, Catholic Workman. Lodge No. 108, Bohemian Roman-Catholic Central Union of Women.

CLARKSON: Lodge Zapadni Svornost (Western Harmony) No. 28, Western Bohemian Fraternal Union, Lodge Clarkson No. 32, C. S. D. P. J. Lodge Eliska Premyslovna No. 58, Bohemian Ladies’ Union. Lodge SS. Peter and Paul No. 6, Catholic Workman. Lodge St. Joseph No. 40, Catholic Workman. Lodge St. Joseph No. 80, Catholic Workman, Catholic Union Sokol, No. 54. Lodge No. 67, Boh. Roman-Cath. Central Union of Women. Lodge No. 128, Boh. Roman-Catholic Central Union of Women.

TABOR: Lodge St. Vaclav No. 9, Western Bohemian Catholic Union.

HOWELL: Lodge Svoboda (Liberty) No. 60, Western Bohemian Fraternal Union. Lodge St. Joseph No. 65, Western Bohemian Catholic Union. Lodge St. John of Nepomuk No. 14, Catholic Workman. Catholic Union Sokol No. 17. Lodge No. 82, Boh. Roman-Catholic Central Union of Women, Women’s Auxiliary of Catholic Union Sokol No. 17. Daughters of Columbus, St. Anna Society No. 2.

Love for one’s native land and language is a natural and noble human attribute and is stronger in those people who live or have lived under a despotic, alien government, as did the Bohemians under Austria. It is no wonder then that the Bohemian immigrants brought to this country their love for their language and wanted their children to learn Bohemian. The Liberals established, from the beginning, Bohemian schools where the language was taught on Saturdays and Sunday forenoons and in some cases through the summer vacations. However, these never interfered in any way with the children’s attendance of public schools during the week, they were merely private schools where children were taught only during the time mentioned. Later, beginning with 1911, some of the Catholic schools in Bohemian parishes began to teach, as a part of the course, the Bohemian language.

As already stated, Colfax county had the largest number of Bohemian papers (except Omaha, the first Catholic church in the building of which Bohemians shared (anywhere in our state) was that in Olean, Colfax county, the First Bohemian Protestants to organize in our state was the group that founded Zion church near Clarkson, and Colfax county also stands pre-eminent as to a Bohemian school founded by Liberals. It was one of the first and continued longer than any except those in Omaha and South Omaha. However, as with reading matter, it is also something the future of which is limited.

In 1877 a society called The Reading & Dramatic Society Tyl and the lodge Zapadni Jednota, Bohemian Slavonian Benevolent Society, established together a Bohemian school, with the aid of the members of the last named lodge, who gave of their time and services without pay and took turns in teaching. They were: Joseph W. Zerzan, Joseph Kubik, Vaclav Maly and Joseph Smatlan. The last named is the only one now living. The school board kindly allowed the use of public school buildings free, and that is the case as yet, except when the lodge hall is used, also free. In 1885 a school board was organized, with the following officers: Frank Otradovsky, president; Joseph Smatlan, treasurer, F. J. Kovar, secretary; Joseph Maly, financial secretary. The first mentioned lodges supported the schools, the teaching was done gratis. The first paid teacher was John H. Steiger, who taught two days in the week for $5.00 monthly, the next year he taught three days in the week for $15.00 monthly. He was succeeded by a A. Z. Donato to 1888, he by J. Em. Kroupa and he again by Donato. Then there was an interim. In 1892 F. L. Fukx taught, succeeded by Donato. In 1894 V. Kadlec taught, an interim for two years and then Donato again in 1897. In 1898 John Zabka, an interim, in 1900 F. Dagobert Novak, 1901 F. H. Svoboda, interim, 1904 V. Miniberger, 1904 to 1908 Rudolf Fibinger, in 1909 Frank Okrina, an interim, in 1912 Charles Severyn (a former pupil of the school), 1913–1914 Fr. Sedy and then again Severyn. In 1916 Miss Anna G. Vanek of New York, 1917 Miss Caroline Cilek, during the war an interim, for public opinion was strongly anti-foreign. In 1920–1921 Rudolph Kohlicek Hartward of Chicago taught, but the school was changed to a dramatic club. During both of these years the school met in the lodge hall, free. In 1922–1924 Bretislav Jonas of Chicago taught.

From 1885 to 1892 the two first mentioned lodges carried the entire burden. In 1892 lodge J. A. Komensky, American Woodmen and lodge Vytrvalost, Union of Bohemian Women, began to participate. In the following year these were added: Tel, Jed. Sokol, lodge Jan Hus, A. O. U. W. In 1897 lodge Svornost, W. O. W., in 1901 Woodmen Circle lodge. In that year the reading and dramatic society Tyl disbanded and the fifty dollars in the treasury was given to the school. The following lodges and clubs were added: Dancing and Social Association, lodge Blanik, Western Bohemian Fraternal Union, and in 1907 the ladies’ auxiliary to the Tel. Jed. Sokol, Sokolky Vlastenky, All these contributed and besides these contributions various entertainments, plays, picnics, etc., were given for the benefit of the school. The teacher’s salary, at first so meagre, grew until in 1923–1924 it amounted to $144 per month, during the summer vacation when school was in session daily. Fifty children were enrolled on an average, about forty on the average attended. In 1924, 34 children were enrolled.

In 1892 a Bohemian school was founded in Clarkson by lodge Zapadni Svornost No. 28, Western Bohemian Fraternal Union. Mr. Anton Odvarka Sr. taught Sunday forenoons. Later Bohemian was taught Friday forenoon in the public schools, Misses Nettie Aksamit and Stella Folda and the principal Mr. Fred Jelinek, alternating. It may be explained here, that Bohemian was thus taught in the public schools, one half day in the week, in Prague, another strongly Bohemian town and perhaps in others. Later Mr. Anton Odvarka Sr. and Miss Louise Dusatko taught Bohemian in the public school during longer periods. Mr. Joseph A. Kucera taught about a year, three days in the week during summer vacation, on Saturdays during the rest of the year. The war closed all this activity, later school was re-opened again and Rev. B. A. Filipi taught during four half days in the week and eight weeks in summer. From 1901 to 1904 Mr. Joseph Krikac taught Bohemian and English in an evening school in Clarkson. There were on the average 30 pupils, aged ten to forty-five years. The district paid for heat and light, the pupils paid a dollar per month each. Mr. Krikac taught three evenings in the week, four months in the year. The record on this is not clear, it is probable that this school was taught in the country and not in Clarkson.