Tabor and Missouri River Historic Highway -- SD SH 50 south of Tabor SD
Posted by: Groundspeak Premium Member plainsdrifter358
N 42° 54.601 W 097° 39.020
14T E 610170 N 4751705
Tabor is 'The Mother City of Dakota Czechs.' On obverse side of the marker is a map of historic places along the Missouri River Highway.
Waymark Code: WM13C5
Location: South Dakota, United States
Date Posted: 01/02/2007
Published By:Groundspeak Premium Member MNSearchers
Views: 56

The first large contingent of Czechs arrive in 1862. The first postmaster was appointed in 1873, the same year the first log school house was built. Matt Petrick, a music man, came in 1872 and organized a band for which Tabor was famous for half a century. The Milwaukee Railroad arrived in 1900 with Tabor population of 301. A solid town it has remained over the years just short of 400 peiople 'jThe Heart of Czech Dakota-Land.'
Missouri River was Historic HighwayThe Missouri River Historic Highway map on the obverse side of the plaque identifies historic places and events along the Missouri River from Sioux City to Tabor from 1804.
Marker Name: Tabor

Marker Type: Roadside

Marker Text:
TABOR

Tabor, named for a Bohemian town of that name, can well be called “the Mother City of Dakota Czechs.” Frank Bem advertised for Czechs who wanted to take up new land and a large contingent came in 1869 and by April 14, 1872, at a meeting, it was decided to buy the homestead of Joanna Kocer and the town was platted by Frank Bem. The first town officers were John Hakl, chairman, Jospeh Vyborny, vice-chairman, Vaclav Janda, clerk and Joseph Hruska, treasurer. The first postmaster was Vicel Joseph Janda, appointed 160 acres was divided into 53 lots with 40 acres set aside for the town and 3 acres each for the cemetery, church, and school. Joseph Zitka the first schoolteacher with 30 pupils. The first Catholic Church was built of chalk rock hauled from the Missouri bluffs and built in 1872. The first resident priest was Father Joseph Krizek in 1877. He was succeeded by others until 1893 when Father E. A. Bouska arrived to stay with the parish until he died in 1941. Matt Petrik, a music man, came in 1872 and organized the band for which Tabor was famous for half a century. The 1880 census listed 569 names in the township, very few of whom had other than Bohemian names. Vaclav Janda was the first storekeeper in 1876. In 1895 its population was only 89, but the coming of the Milwaukee Railroad in 1900 found it with 301 people in 1905. A solid town, it has remained over the years just short of 400 people, “The Heart of Czech Dakota-Land.” Erected 1966 by the Tabor Chamber of Commerce and State Highway Commission



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Benchmark Blasterz visited Tabor and Missouri River Historic Highway -- SD SH 50 south of Tabor SD 02/15/2023 Benchmark Blasterz visited it
MNSearchers visited Tabor and Missouri River Historic Highway -- SD SH 50 south of Tabor SD 01/13/2007 MNSearchers visited it
plainsdrifter358 visited Tabor and Missouri River Historic Highway -- SD SH 50 south of Tabor SD 12/26/2006 plainsdrifter358 visited it

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