Czech Settlers in Hill County
Abbott, Hill County, Texas
Marker Inscription
One of the most influential and numerous national groups to settle in Hill County, Czechs came to this area from Fayette County and the province of Moravia in Austria-Hungary. Many sought greater freedom due to barriers to attaining national status in the old country, political restraints, introduction of German into the schools, and compulsory military service. Land agents painted a rosy picture of opportunities awaiting those who purchased cheap state university lands in this region. The first immigrants arrived in the 1870s and found the soil so fertile that they induced many others to join them. Building of the Texas Central and "Katy" railroads boosted immigration. "Capital" of Czech settlement in the area is Abbott, named for Jo Abbott (1840-1908), judge, legislator, and lawyer. Surrounding towns are Zee Vee (so called for the local ZV cattle brand), Penelope, and Aquilla. Neighbors admired the Czechs for their neat, well managed farms and their thrift and industry. For many years they retained a strong group spirit, speaking their own language and observing old world customs. In recent decades they have mixed more with other groups and today fill many public and professional offices as well as continue to farm. (1973)
Erected by Texas Historical Commission
The Story
Drawn from Fayette County and from Moravia in Austria-Hungary, Czech immigrants became one of Hill County's largest and most influential groups, many fleeing compulsory military service, political limits, and the imposition of German in their schools. Lured by cheap land and rich soil, the first arrivals came in the 1870s and drew others as the railroads opened the region, making Abbott the informal capital of Czech settlement. Neighbors admired their thrift and tidy farms, and for generations they kept their language and old-world customs.
Why it matters
Their story is a classic chapter of American immigration — a distinct ethnic community transplanting its culture to the prairie, then gradually weaving into the wider society.
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Related people
- · Jo Abbott
Themes & tags
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