South of La Grange, TX, State Highway 77 (SH 77) connects La Grange to IH-10. About 4 to 5 miles south of La Grange on SH 77, you should observe a brown informational highway signs telling you there is a historical marker located there. In this case, the historical marker is on the right of the road if driving south from La Grange (or on the left side of the road heading north toward La Grange). There is not only a TX historical marker at this large, shady area off the side of the road, but there is also a large, imposing monument to a local citizen who was very influential to the development of the Czech community as well as to the development of Texas.
The Texas historical marker made of gray marble that commemorates the oldest Czech settlement in Texas and lists names of the Czech pioneer families. Although Augustine Haidusek, the subject of the citizen memorial that is about 100 feet behind the historical marker, arrived in Texas in the same month and year of the other pioneer Czech settlers, he was not part of this group. Nonetheless, Haidusek did very well by himself among his fellow Czech ex-patriots, becoming Mayor of La Grange, a Texas State legislator, the County Judge and was appointed as a Director on the Board of Regents of Texas A& M College. Haidusek is reputed to be the first Czech to pass the Bar and become a lawyer in the US. Similarly, he was the first Czech be be elected mayor of La Grange, TX.
The citizen memorial of Ausustine Haidusek is built of red granite about 12 feet high, renting on a larger plinth of red granite.. At the top of the memorial is a bronze relief of the face of Augustine Haidusek. Below this sculpture of his face is engraved the highlights of his life, forming a long listing of accomplishments which takes up the bulk of the monument’s face to scribe them all. On the back of the monument is engraved the organization that erected this memorial
The engravings on the front of the monument read as follows:
Augustine Haidusek
Pioneer Czech leader,
Scholar, Journalist, Statesman
Born Sept. 19, 1845, Mysi, Czechoslovakia
Entered United States Nov. 1, 1856
Arrived in Fayette County Nov. 29, 1856
Served in Confederate Army 1864-1865
Teacher 1872-1873
Mayor of La Grange Texas 1islature 1875-1878
Member, Texas Legislature 1880-1884
Fayette County Judge 1884-1890
Publisher of Svoboda 1885-1927
Director of A&M College 1901-1907
Died at La Grange Texas Sept 29, 1929
The engraving on the back side of the monument reads as follows:
Erected by
Friends and Admirers
of
Augustine Haidusek
through
The Haidusek Memorial Association
Senator L.J. Sular President
Rev. Paul P. Kasper Secretary
John Lidiak Treasurer
November 30, 1941
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