A Slice of Europe on the Prairie - Hill County Southbound Safety Rest Area - Abbott, TX - Signs of History on Waymarking.com

Insets show a photo of the town's namesake, Thomas West, as well as a young lady in her best Czech finery, showing off some of the baked goods that are literally "world famous." Westfest is in the background at the center and bottom of the sign, which reads (slight edits):

A few miles south of here you can find a fine slice of Europe on the Texas Blackland Prairie. The small town of West, Texas, traces its essential character to Czech immigrants who came to the area to start a new life in the new world. The initial immigrants were Anglo-Protestants who came to the area in the 1840s. The Czech and German people began to settle in the area a few decades later. During the mid-1800s, life for farmers was difficult in Bohemia, Moravia and parts of Silesia and many were threatened by conscription into the army of the Austrian Empire. Hearing of rich, abundant and relatively inexpensive land in Texas, they made the long hard voyage to America and a growing number of Czech communities, including the town of West. By the time of the Civil War, some 700 Czechs had established themselves in Texas. By 1910, foreign-born Czechs in Texas had climbed to more than 15,000. As more and more farm families immigrated, they brought their culture along -- their music, their folklore, their foods, their reverence for the land, their language. In West, they established a newspaper still being published in the Czech language. Many of the descendants of the original settlers -- which includes just about everybody in town -- continue to farm their lands today and you can still hear the Czech language spoken in town.

If you are ever fortunate enough to pass through town on Labor Day Weekend, you will find yourself embroiled in one of the most festive celebrations north of New Orleans. Westfest is a celebration of everything Czech -- folk dancing, polka, the largest parade in central Texas. Czech sausage reigns and you can have it in Kolaches, in a sandwich, on a stick, or you can have it with something called Skunk Eggs, a popular delicacy available in the town of West. Czech culture has gained such a hold in West during the Westfest that they sometimes hold a Polka Mass on Sunday.

On a more somber note, in April, 2013, an explosion at the local fertilizer plant leveled several blocks of the town with at least 15 fatalities and approximately 200 people injured. However, the strong community of tight-knit families has pulled together and once again faces the future with extraordinary perseverance and grace.

Group that erected the marker: Hill County URL of a web site with more information about the history mentioned on the sign: [Web Link] Address of where the marker is located. Approximate if necessary: Hill County Southbound Safety Rest Area I-35 (Mile Marker 362A) Abbott, TX USA 76621

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