First Czech Immigrants in Texas - Texas Historical Markers on Waymarking.com

The marker is pretty self-descriptive, but here are a couple of additional remarks:

Per Wikipedia, George Fisher (Jiri Rybar, 1795-1873) was born to Serbian parents in Hungary. After serving in the Serbian revolutionary forces during the First Serbian Uprising, he came to the US and eventually Northerm Mexico where he contracted to settle five hundred families on lands in Texas, served as a Customs officer in Galveston, and even became a justice of the peace during the nascent Republic of Texas before moving on to other adventures... including, apparently, an attempt to buy the entire island of Cozumel all the way down in the Yucatan peninsula!

Per the Texas Historical Commission's Online Handbook, Josef Arnost Bergmann (1798–1877), the true father of Czech immigration to Texas, was originally a Catholic priest who eventually became a Protestant minister before immigrating to Texas. A letter sent back to his home country describing the freedom and bountiful cheap lands to be found in Texas eventually inspired others to immigrate as well. Groups of Czech families came in 1852, 1853, and 1854, and this started the waves of migration of Czech and Moravian people to Texas.

Again, per Wikipedia, Josef Lidumil Lesikar (1806-1887) was instrumental in organizing two groups of about 160 Czechs to immigrate to Texas in 1851 and 1853. Although about half of the first group died, he and his family reached Galveston with the second group on board the Suwa in late December 1853. The family bought farmland in New Bremen (located about 4 miles South of this historical marker). He eventually wrote articles that got published in various parts of the US as well as in his native land, and his writings encouraged many Czechs to come to America.

Marker Number: 1726 Marker Text: People from Czechy began to come to America for liberty as early as 1633. First known Czech in Texas was Jiri Rybar (George Fisher), customs officer in Galveston in 1829. Others arrived individually for years before letters sent home by the Rev. Josef Arnost Bergman, an 1849 Czech settler at Cat Spring (9 mi. S), inspired immigrations in large numbers. Josef Lidumil Lesikar (1806-1887) was instrumental in forming the first two large migrations, 1851 and 1853, with names of family parties listed on ship logs as Silar (Shiller), 69; Lesikar (Leshikar), 16; Mares (Maresh), 10; Pecacek (Pechacek), 9; Rypl (Ripple), 7; Coufal, 6; Rosler (Roesler), 6; Motl, 5; Jezek, 4; Cermak, 3; Janecek, 3; Jirasek, 3; Kroulik, 2; Tauber, 2; Marek, 1; Pavlicek, 1. With Pastor Bergman's counsel, many of the Czechs began to farm in Austin county. Other immigrations occurred in the 1850s, and became even heavier in the 1870s. Czechs eventually spread throughout the state, gaining recognition for industry, thrift, and cultural attainments. To preserve their heritage they succeeded in having a chair of Slavic Languages established (1915) at the University of Texas, and later at other schools. Their ethnic festivals have been held in various cities for many years. See incising on back of marker (1974) ------------------------------------------ <incising on back of marker reads:> ------------------------------------------ Marker sponsored by the following descendants: Charles H. Chernosky, Jr. Alfred R. Kroulik John T. Kroulik T'Odon C. Leshikar Henry W. Marcak Louise Shiller Maresh Elizabeth M. Shiller John J. Shiller Rosalie A. Shiller John J. Stalmach, Chairman

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Date Logged Log   10/06/2018 Raven visited it