Part 23 (1/2)
THE COGGON MONITOR
Since 1889 Coggon has had a newspaper, the _Coggon Monitor_. It has had a number of owners, but it is established on a firm basis. Clarence Cole was the editor until April of this year, when he sold the paper to William Crosier.
THE MT. VERNON RECORD
In 1893, the _Mount Vernon Record_ was established and it has had a successful and gratifying growth under the management of Lloyd McCutcheon, its publisher and editor. Advertising came slowly at first, as it always does to a new paper, but at present the merchants of Mt. Vernon are giving it good support. The paper has been ”progressive”--strongly progressive in its editorial policies and there are many progressives in that neighborhood who have backed it.
[Ill.u.s.tration: SCHOOL, FAIRFAX]
[Ill.u.s.tration: METHODIST CHURCH AND PARSONAGE, FAIRFAX]
CHAPTER XVI
_The Bohemian Element in the County_
It is not the purpose of this history to note in especial manner all the different nationalities that have entered into the making of our cosmopolitan population. America is peopled by st.u.r.dy men and women who have come to this land of opportunity and freedom from all the civilized nations of the world. It is the amalgamation of these different races and peoples that has done much to give us our st.u.r.dy citizens.h.i.+p. Driven from their old homes by persecutions or the desire to better their condition, they have come to America and have helped populate our prairies and develope our cities. They have needed the opportunities here given them, and we have needed them in our work of erecting on this continent a nation that shall be an example to all the nations.
By far the largest and most important element of foreign extraction represented in Linn county is the Bohemian. Some of our towns.h.i.+ps are almost entirely populated by these progressive immigrants and their descendants, and a goodly percentage of the residents of Cedar Rapids trace back their Slav ancestry to old Bohemia. These people have always made good citizens. They possess the desirable faculty of adapting themselves readily to new environments. Without destroying their own vigorous vitality, they grasp quickly the best there is in our thought and mode of life. They have borne n.o.bly their share of the burdens incident to the establishment of new centers of civilization and of progress. They have acted their part in our civic life. They have adapted themselves to and have adopted our inst.i.tutions. They have helped and are helping to make the county and the city centers of growth and prosperity. Trained through the years in habits of economy, and forced through necessity to keep up these habits, their life here has often been an incentive to others to go and do likewise. Lovers of the home, their ambition is to possess their own abiding place, and that as quickly as possible. The Bohemians are not renters. They are a cla.s.s of home owners, and nothing is so potent for stability in any community as this trait on the part of its people. They are indeed a thrifty people, such as every state and county and city gladly welcome.
Their buildings, though many of them may be small, are substantial in their character. The gardens and the grounds surrounding the dwellings in the towns and cities are neatly kept and attractive to the eye.
Their farms are well tilled and as a result grow rapidly in productiveness and value.
Our Bohemian citizens bear their part in the administration of public affairs. And they always make good in the positions in which they are placed. They have helped make our city councils; they have been men of ability and of influence on our school boards. They are numbered among our successful merchants and bankers. Indeed, there is scarce a line of human endeavor in which they have not been represented by men of capacity and of worth.
At the request of the editors of this history Joseph Mekota, himself a splendid representative of a splendid people, contributes the following sketch of the Bohemian people to this volume:
The history of the Bohemian people in Linn county does not differ greatly from the general history of this people in our country. Driven from their native land, on account of political persecution and official oppression, they sought America as the haven of liberty and opportunity. They brought with them an abundance of patience, industry, perseverance, and hope. Their beginning was full of hards.h.i.+ps, privations, and obstacles. Their chief capital was their health and willingness to toil, and their ability to stand hards.h.i.+p. These were their native heritage. Coming to this country poor, unacquainted with its customs, its language, and its laws, their beginning had but few silver linings.
Despite these inauspicious surroundings these early pioneers were contented and happy. Physical and material hards.h.i.+ps and trials were cheerfully borne for the joys and sweetness of political and religious liberty. Under the broad and clear skies of the religious, political, and intellectual tolerance of America they felt the realization of the unfulfilled dreams of the glorious but unsuccessful struggles of their ancestors a century ago. Such a fine spirit towards the highest ideals in life and civilization, combined with inexhaustible energy and patience in industrial pursuits, has made this people loyal to our inst.i.tutions and useful to the development and progress of our country.
The early settlers came to this county with teams and wagons. At that time there were no railroads west of the Mississippi river. Many of them came from Caledonia, Wisconsin, with ox teams. Others came by railroad as far as the Mississippi river. One member of a family who came here in 1855 said: ”They dumped us out at Muscatine and from there we hired teams and conveyances to take us to Cedar Rapids. We moved south of the city and lived under a tree that summer. When we wanted to buy anything we took a sample of the article in one hand and the amount of money we wished to expend in the other and would show that to our neighbors and make them understand what we wanted.”
These early settlers devoted themselves to agricultural pursuits. Most of them located on or near timber lands so that they would have plenty of fuel. Fuel was very scarce in their native land, and it was easier to build their sheds if they were in the timber. The prairies at that time were not desirable for location. A large portion of College towns.h.i.+p, which is now the best farming country in the state of Iowa, at that time was full of marshes, and high gra.s.s, and strong winds prevailed so that the early settlers avoided the prairies and located in timber districts.
The early Bohemian settlers came to Linn county about the years 1852 and 1853. So far as known, the following families were among the early pioneers: The Ligr family about the year 1852 settled east of Ely. John Posler, in the year 1853, also located about eight miles southeast of the city. In 1854 or earlier, Paul Korab and his family settled about one mile east of the present town of Western, where also settled at that time John Witousek. The Korab family came here with an ox team from the state of Wisconsin by way of Dubuque. That year, 1854, Jacob Polak located about ten miles southeast of Cedar Rapids, and with him was Joseph Sosel. These families also came with teams from the state of Wisconsin. Anton Sulek located in the north part of Johnson county in 1854, and he afterwards lived near Hoosier Grove in this county on a beautiful, elevated spot called ”Hradek,” and meaning ”Little Castle.”
Many other families came in 1855 and settled along the border line between Johnson and Linn counties, in College and Putnam towns.h.i.+ps. The numbers that came were not great, and it was not until after the Civil war that large numbers of these people came to this county.
Among these people Joseph Sosel was a character of distinction. His scholarly attainments combined with his love of intellectual and political freedom easily made him the leader among his people. He was a political exile. He took an active part in the uprising of Bohemian students in the year 1848. This movement was for more political rights and broader freedom for the people in Bohemia. The uprising did not meet with success, and for his patriotic activity a price was set upon his head by the Austrian government. With many other students, who were in the same predicament, he escaped to this country. With him came Karel Jonas, who afterwards became lieutenant-governor of the state of Wisconsin; and with them also came Vojtech Naprstek, who left a name in Bohemian history that is known to every Bohemian.
In this locality Mr. Sosel rendered many valuable services to his countrymen; being able to talk the English language, he became their legal and business adviser. He was loyal to his countrymen, and at all times insisted that they should learn and observe the customs of their new country. He served faithfully the interests of his people, and his memory will forever be kindly remembered by them for the many and useful services which he faithfully rendered.
Up to the time of the Civil war, the Bohemian immigration was slow, but from those that were here quite a number enlisted from this county to preserve the integrity of their new country. Among those known who enlisted were the following: J. F. Bednar, Frank Renchin, Frank Peremsky, Joseph Wencel, Joseph Podhajsky, John Maly, Joseph Zahradnik, Charles Bednar, Joseph Horak, Wesley Horak, Frank Dolezal, Joseph Dolezal.
After the Civil war Cedar Rapids became a prominent center of Bohemian population. Many came direct from their own country, others came from neighboring states, and still others came from the surrounding country in this state. So that at all times this city always had a large percentage of people of Bohemian origin, larger than any other city of its size in the state of Iowa. In the county they settled in Putnam, College and Franklin towns.h.i.+ps. From the year 1866, after the Prussian war in Austria, to 1880 were perhaps the banner years of Bohemian emigration to this country. These people all located in the city or southeast of the city. There are today in Cedar Rapids about 8,500 inhabitants of this nationality and about 2,500 more in other parts of the county. They are now scattered all over the county, but large and heavy settlements are in Putnam and College towns.h.i.+ps, these being almost exclusively settled by Bohemians. There is a large settlement in Fairfax towns.h.i.+p, and there are settlements in Franklin, Bertram, Boulder, and Grant towns.h.i.+ps.
In agriculture they are successful farmers. No better improved farms, no better buildings, no better systems of farming exist in any other part of the state than in the communities settled by these people. They are progressive and up to date in all matters. They are hard working people and devoted to the interests of their farms.
In Cedar Rapids they have also played an important part. A large majority came to this country very lightly endowed with worldly goods, but they were strong in health and body and not afraid to work. A very large percentage of these people belong to the laboring cla.s.s. The women in the families worked as hard, if not harder, than the men. The first ambition of these people after their arrival in this country was to own a home. The father would work, the mother would work, and the children would work in order to buy and pay for a home. A great many of them bought vacant lots and improved them by erecting neat and comfortable dwellings. At times it was claimed they took their children out of school too early in order that they might work. In the early times there existed circ.u.mstances which could not very well avoid this situation. The wages were low; families as a rule were large and in order to pay for a home and in order that the debts be paid, and to meet expenses, it was necessary in many cases to press the children into service. This custom became somewhat contagious among the men, women, and children. One family was bound to earn and make as much money as its neighbors, and therefore had to have as many members of the family working. It is a source of congratulation that this custom, which had been one of necessity, is now losing ground among the ranks of this nationality and their children are kept in school as long as any children among other American people.
The Bohemian people from the very first held tenaciously to their mother tongue. While they were loyal to our public schools and other inst.i.tutions, they took steps to preserve and cultivate the mother tongue among themselves and their children. As early as 1868 a society called the ”Reading Society” was organized. The purpose of this society was to cultivate the Bohemian language; give aid to Bohemian schools; furnish the best books of Bohemian literature to the people of our city, and in every way possible to promote and awaken the love for Bohemian language and history among the people. It was a center of national life and spirit. In this laudable purpose the Reading Society of Cedar Rapids has met with unparalleled success.