Pioneer Czechs
In Colfax County
Written in 1926.
(Continued from last week.)
I think that my brother Joseph Papez, my cousin John Stibal and I were the first Bohemians to take homesteads in Colfax county, for those Bohemians who had preceded us, Thomas Molacek, John Novotny, Jacob Moural and Frank Kovarik, were recorded in Platte county, before Colfax county was established. I may mention here that Moural, through error, built his first home on land belonging to another. Both parties were to have a hearing in Grand Island, but the owner of the land did not appear and Moural was adjudged the rightful proprietor. Such mistakes happened very often though, for the country was a waste and quite often even the locator had a hard time to find a given tract. My cousin Frank Stibal died eleven years ago, leaving a fine farm of 180 acres. Joseph Papez is living in Albion, Nebraska.
We were able to get ahead in those first years only by our concentrated efforts. My brother Joseph Papez did not stay long, however, he moved to Schuyler, where he worked at his tailoring trade. Then he went to Omaha and then to Albion, where he established a clothing store, now conducted by his sons. My cousin and I farmed until 1874. In 1879 I moved to Richland, where I conducted a general merchandise store until 1911, and prospered. In the meantime, in 1888, I farmed one of my farms with other help, but in 1912 I sold all but the land and quit the farming business altogether.
In the spring of 1873 I married Marie Moural, daughter of Jacob Moural, who died in 1879, leaving three sons and a daughter (Mrs. Fred Kluck, near Richland). My oldest son Edward died in January 1906 after an operation, aged 32 years, leaving a widow and one son. My son William moved to Idaho in 1898, where he farms a ranch of 800 acres, near Roberts, on the snake river. Three years after my wife’s death I married Anna Duda, daughter of Vaclav Duda, a farmer in Butler county. From this second marriage were born: Mary, John, Thomas and Aloisie (Louise). Mary married Joseph Swadley, the others are single.
When we arrived in Milwaukee from Bohemia, I had fourteen paper dollars. Following the Civil War, all money was paper, even three cents. I paid $1.50 to a certain Jew for finding me work and taking me to the place. I may say here that we had the address of another Jew, who had formerly lived near our birthplace and had emigrated to Milwaukee. My brother looked him up and he was of great assistance to us. It is not fair to have prejudice against anyone of another faith, there are good and bad people everywhere.
In May 1920 I was the owner of 2400 acres of improved land. All these farms but one (in Saunders county) are in Colfax county. I kept 500 acres and divided the rest among my children. Besides that I am keeping 220 acres for a member of the family still under age, and then I have some cash on hand too. I gave my son in Idaho 160 acres and water rights costing me in all over $3,000.00 and several thousand in cash. He settled there before I had made the division of land.
Not one in fifty has been able to accomplish what I have, but it is the result of many years of work, not only my work, but that of my wife also. Life was not always easy, we had to breast bad storms at times. Ignorance of the prevailing language and method of work, on the farm and in business, costs the immigrant time and money. But strength, health and good will conquer all.” (Written January 7, 1926.)
JOSEPH PAPEZ was born March 28, 1843 in the village of Jetgichoves in Bohemia. In April 1867 he came to Baltimore in a sailing vessel, with his sister Barbora Papez-Povondra and step-brother John Stibal. In June 1867 he went to Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and a week later found work as tailor in Cedarburg, Wisconsin, working there five months. In 1868 he tailored in Baraboo and Mauston. In that year an election occurred, which was to decide which town was to be county seat. One vote decided for Mauston and Mr. Papez, who had voted the first time in this country, was the deciding factor.
In November 1868 Mr. Papez came to Omaha, where he worked at his trade. In March 1869 he took a claim three miles north of where the town of Richland now is, in company with his step-brother John Stibal and cousin Frank Stibal. January 29, 1870 he married Josephine Vodicka, sister of Vaclav L. Vodicka and February 12, of that year they moved on their claim. The house was half-finished, no doors, no ceiling, unplastered. They had hardly got settled when a fierce blizzard raged for three days. Even the bread froze, although it was wrapped in newspapers and clothing and put in the trunk. There were no dampers in the stove, so the heat all went up the chimney. Had it not been for the good old Bohemian featherbeds that Mrs. Papez had brought from her native country, they would have frozen. Their furniture was of boards nailed into shape and a kitten, which Mrs. Papez brought from Omaha, was their “stock”. However, before long they had poultry, hogs and a cow, for Mr. Papez worked for the farmers and Mrs. Papez sewed for their wives and for the inhabitants of Shell Creek, now the town of Schuyler.
After farming for five years, they moved to Schuyler, where Mr. Papez tailored. June 16, 1880 they moved to Albion, Boone county, going by stage from Columbus. Shortly after their arrival there the railroad was built through and the first train out of Albion carried the dead body of little Rose Papez, to be buried in Schuyler. In January 1884, Papez moved to Omaha, where he engaged in the tailoring business with his brother-in-law Frank Vodicka, but the following year they returned to Albion, where, until September 1908 Mr. Papez conducted a tailor shop and clothing store. He sold out to his sons Edward B. and John S. There are two daughters, Otilie, living with the parents and Emily B., who teaches in colleges. January 29, 1920 Mr. and Mrs. Papez celebrated their golden wedding. Mrs. Papez was born in Techonice, County Klatovy, March 23, 1848. She came to this country in the spring of 1869, with her sister Dora Vodicka-Junek, another sister Leonora (later Mrs. Frank Mares, and brother Frank. They arrived in Baltimore after a voyage by sailing vessel lasting four weeks and on August 19, 1869 they met their brother Vaclav L. in Omaha. Later another sister came, Mrs. Anna Zelezny, whose husband died in Omaha and she then married Henry Fingado. In 1871 the parents, Jacob and Anna Vodicka, arrived and lived with the Papez family. Of this whole family but one sister, Marie V Salak, remained in the native land.
THOMAS MOLACEK was born in 1830 in Osyk, County Chrudim, Bohemia, and his wife, born Kučerova-Faltysova was born in 1829. Molacek died in 1894, his wife in 1890, both are buried in the Heun cemetery. The family consisted of eight sons and two daughters: John Faltys (Mrs. Molacek’s son from a former marriage), Anna (Mrs. Joseph Bartunek) and Katherine. They came in May 1867 to Linn county, near Cedar Rapids lowa, where they bought 120 acres and began to farm. There was considerable talk about Nebraska, but the Union Pacific railroad had not been built through. Thomas Molacek and John Novotny came in 1867 by wagon to the vicinity of Schuyler and sought homesteads. They selected same four miles north
(To be continued.)
