Pioneer Czechs
In Colfax County
Written in 1926.
(Continued from last week.)
These immigrants, Moural and Kovarik, were the first settlers in the Platte valley between Columbus and Schuyler (but there was ho Schuyler then, only the railroad station and Smith Bros’ store). They went to work in earnest and were rewarded. My father had three children. My sister Mary, (born 1852); myself (born July 12, 1858) and my sister Anna (born in 1860). My sister Mary married John Stibal. Anna married F. J. Divis and died a tragic death, by her own hand, taking with her into eternity her children, all but one. I became a protege of the Kovariks and lived with them until my marriage. Mother Kovarik died in 1878, father Kovarik in 1907, both are buried in Schuyler. My own mother Moural died in 1904, my father Moural in 1907, both are buried in Richland.
In 1879 I married Anna Rousar. We had seven children, five sons and two daughters, three died. They were: Edmond, who died an infant; Edward who died in 1903 in school in Fremont, aged twenty year and John, who in 1914 was accidently shot while hunting. The following are living: Julia (Mrs. Joseph Dudek), Frank, who farms the original homestead now of 315 acres, Ethel (Mrs. Cor. Seannell) and Elden, who farms 160 acres. We have nine grandchildren and have been living in Schuyler since 1915. I have been county commissioner for the third term.
When my thoughts wander back to my youth, which all-told was happy, and recollect how our fathers and mothers began farming here; how my sister Anna and I learned to herd stock (I think we had two cows and five calves), it seems like a dream. We had a few hogs, too; and chickens and a dog. Everything interested us, for we were young and everything was a novelty. Happy days!
In that same year (1868) FRANK FOLDA, the first Bohemian inhabitant of the town of Schuyler, came. His father, Martin Folda (born in Holovousy in 1812, died in Colfax county in 1895) came with his wife (born Marie Konopik, also born in Holovousy, died in Colfax county in 1892) to Manitowoc county, Wisconsin, in 1857, with his sons Frank and Joseph and daughter Frances. The oldest son John was at that time engaged in military duty in Bohemia. He was born in 1836, Frank in 1839 and Joseph in 1849, all in Holovousy. Excepting Frank, all were farmers, but Frank soon gave evidence of a good business ability. He established a general merchandise store in Manitowoc. He came to Schuyler with his wife, born Johanna Ericksen, when there were but two houses in the place. He built the third. In the following year his parents and brothers arrived. His sister Frances married a Mr. Seibert in Wisconsin and never came to Nebraska. She died in Wisconsin.
Frank Folda had not only good financial ability but also a very good opportunity to exercise it. Settlers were pouring in, new countries were opened up, he was a friend and guide to his countrymen who could not speak English. At his death he owned large tracts of land (it is estimated that he had 4,000 acres), much cattle, and a banking business. Earlier in his career he had a land and grain business. In 1886 he established not only the first Bohemian bank in Nebraska, but it was the first such bank in this country. This bank; now The Banking House of F. Folda, helped to found other so-called Folda banks. In 1875 he was elected to the state legislature, as a representative, on the democratic ticket. In 1879 he was nominated for state treasurer and in 1888 for lieutenant-governor, but the republicans were in a majority in those days and he did not win. In 1887 with other stockholders he established a Bohemian democratic weekly the “Nova Doba” (New Era), which was suspended in 1892. Frank Folda died in 1892, his wife in 1914. He left the memory of a kindly, cultured gentleman; who always remained, despite his rising fortune; courteous and helpful to his countrymen. He donated land to the Těl. Jed. Sokol, which organization expects to build an auditorium thereon. He had two children. His daughter Martha died in Omaha, and his son, Engelbert F. is a banker there, being also president of the Banking House of F. Folda in Schuyler, and the Bank of Rogers.
In 1869 the following came: John Stibal, Joseph Papez, Frank Stibal, Frank Vasko, Thomas Molacek, John Faltys, John Lapacek, Charles Lapacek, Joseph Sobota, John Sobota, Joseph Sobota, Jr., Martin Folda, John Folda, Joseph Folda, Vaclav Dvorak, Felix Sevcik, Joseph Valenta, Joseph Kovarik, Joseph Misek, Thomas Janda, Martin Lodl, and others.
John Stibal writes: “I was born May 2, 1847 in the village of Jetrichoves, County Pacov, in Bohemia, and emigrated in April 1867 with my step-brother Joseph Papez (four years older), my sister and my cousin from Dol, County Pacov. We were all single. We sailed in a sailing vessel named Wilhelmina; from Bremen and arrived in Baltimore after a voyage lasting thirty-five days. From Baltimore we went to Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Before long my sister and cousin both married and my brother, a tailor moved to Baraboo, Wisconsin, I following after him. From Baraboo he went to Omaha, Nebraska, and wrote me to come along too. While in Baraboo my cousin Frank Stibal from Dol, County Pacov, arrived in the fall of 1868. In March 1869 he and I set out for Omaha, crossing the Missouri there on the ferry. While in Omaha we conferred with Vaclav L. Vodicka, Vaclav Stepanek and others, and upon Mr. Vodicka’s advice, who told us that John Moural had just settled on Shell Creek in Platte (now Colfax County), we followed him via the Union Pacific. Shell Creek was not a town, not even a settlement. There was nothing there but the railroad station, a newly-built section house to the south, and a few shanties. I tried to converse with several of those standing about, but it was hard, for I did not know English. However, I made out that a new town, called Cooper, was being projected. That was to have been the name of the present town of Richland, eight miles west of Shell Creek (now Schuyler) and so I determined to seek homesteads in that vicinity. I was told that I might obtain further information in the home of the Greenman brothers. I called on them and got a map of Section 4, now Richland Precinct, three miles from Richland. I selected three eighties adjoining each other and returned to Omaha, to make entry. I think the date was March 24, 1869. During that same spring the settlers fairly poured in and there were many Bohemians among them. The majority came from other states and were experienced farmers. At first they settled north of town on Maple Creek, later they spread over the whole county. The town of Schuyler began to grow so that when I came again in December of that year (1869) there were about fifty residences and stores although it oh be the number was somewhat overestimated.
When I arrived in December I first lived with Jacob Moural. Inasmuch as it was impossible to build a sod house at that time of year,, I erected a frame building. In the meantime by brother Joseph Papez had married Josephine Vodicka, sister of Vaclav L. Vodicka, and they came to Colfax county also. We moved into the half-finished house. I think the date was February 24, 1870, and our farming, which I knew very little about, begain in earnest, as well as we could without any capital.
