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The Texas Czech Heritage and Cultural Center, Inc.
incorporated on March 24, 1997 and received 501(c) 3
status in July of the same year. The location for this
non-profit corporation was finalized when a lease was
signed with the City of LaGrange in November of 1997.
Statewide efforts by Czech founded organizations to
raise money to develop a Center that would preserve and
promote the history, heritage, and culture of the people
of Czech ethnicity began as early as December of 1995.
In December of 1995, a meeting of Texans of Czech
Ancestry (TOCA), an umbrella organization that serves to
improve and facilitate communication among Czech-founded
organizations, was called to hear a proposal offered by
the Czech Heritage Society of Texas to build a library
for the preservation of books and documents significant
to Texas Czechs. Following presentations and discussion
among those present, it was determined that a Czech
Center that would include more than a library should be
considered to promote and preserve the heritage and
culture of the Texas Czechs. TOCA voted to support the
project of building a statewide Czech cultural center
with a library, museum, and archives.
Member organizations of TOCA were the American SOKOL
Organization, Southern District (SOKOL); Bexar County
Czech Heritage Society (BCCHS); Catholic Family
Fraternal (KJZT); Catholic Union of Texas (KJT) Czech
Educational Foundation of Texas (CEFT); Czech Ex
Students Association of Texas (CESAT); Czech Heritage
Society of Texas (CHS); Czech Heritage Society of
Travis/Williamson Counties; Farm Mutual Insurance
Company of Texas (RVOS); and the Slavonic Benevolent
Order of the State of Texas (SPJST). A representative
from each organization served as a Board Member.
At this meeting, representatives of the Czech Heritage
Society were President Carolyn Meiners, and CHS Trustees
Robert Janak, Arnold Pechal, and Eugene Labay. TOCA
representatives in attendance expressed the need to
preserve artifacts and other aspects of the Czech
heritage and culture. The Texans of Czech Ancestry
agreed to spearhead the project. Supporting this project
was consistent with the mission of TOCA, which is to
mutually assist one another in the pursuit to preserve
and promote the Czech Culture and Heritage. The member
organizations of TOCA pledged and donated seed money to
begin the project. At subsequent TOCA meetings,
proposals were discussed and planning committees were
organized to discuss the type of facility needed to
address the various aspects of Texas-Czech heritage and
the best type of location needed to accommodate such a
facility. Officers of the Texans of Czech Ancestry were
elected as follows: President Retta Slavik Chandler,
Vice President Elo Goerig, Secretary Carolyn Meiners,
and Treasurer Arnold Pechal.
TOCA began monthly meetings at which time committees
were formed to determine the scope of the project.
Following the development of an overall plan by the
committees, a statewide request was sent asking for any
communities that were interested in such a facility to
present a proposal. Proposals were received from the
cities of Caldwell, Ennis, La Grange, and Temple. After
a thorough examination of each of the proposals,
including a visit to each site and a meeting with city
officials, the TOCA Board Members selected the LaGrange
proposal.
Fayette County was selected as the site for the Center
because of its significance in the history of Texas
Czechs. It has the largest Czech population per capita
and the most Czech communities of any county in the
state. Many Czech-related historical sites and events,
as well as prominent Texas Czechs, can be linked to
Fayette County, which has the distinction of having had
more immigrants from the Czech lands of the
Austro-Hungarian Empire settle there in the second half
of the nineteenth century than any other county in
Texas. Other reasons for selecting LaGrange included the
location and the amount of land offered and the fact
that Fayette County is historically significant in
Texas-Czech history. Negotiations began to draw up a
Lease Agreement.
On March 24.1997, the Texas Czech Heritage and Cultural
Center, Inc., was officially incorporated. The Interim
Board Members of Texans of Czech Ancestry then became
Board Members and founders of the Texas Czech Heritage
and Cultural Center, Inc. Officers were as follows:
Retta Slavik Chandler, President, Elo Goerig, Vice
President, Carolyn Meiners, Secretary, Arnold Pechal,
Treasurer. Board members were Retta Slavik Chandler, Elo
J. Goerig, Larry Laznovsky, C. S. (Woody) Smith, Eugene Labay, George Hruby, Dorothy Bohac, Glenn Hutka, and
Howard Leshikar.
Governor George Bush signed House Concurrent Resolution
Number 265 from the Texas House of Representatives and
Senate on July 14, 1997. This Resolution recognized all
those associated with the Texas Czech Heritage and
Cultural Center to be built in La Grange, Texas. The
resolution further recognized the contributions of
Texans of Czech ethnicity to the state's history and
that Fayette County, which is known as the "Cradle of
Czech Immigration," is an appropriate site for the
Center.
On November 1, 1997, representatives from the Texas
Czech Heritage and Cultural Center, Inc., the City of La
Grange, Fayette County and the La Grange Chamber of
Commerce had the official signing of the land lease
between TCHCC and the City of La Grange at the future
site of the Cultural Center. At that time, TCHCC and the
La Grange Area Chamber of Commerce entered into a
yearlong contract for the Chamber to provide
administrative support for the Center.
An Economic Development Grant from the City of La Grange
funded a Walking Trail with stations, hand hewn by
George Hlavinka of Caldwell, Texas. The Texas Czech
Heritage and Cultural Center, Inc. has evolved from a
single desk housed in the La Grange Area Chamber of
Commerce Office, to a one-room office in a professional
building in La Grange, to an on-site location in the
meticulously restored early Texas-Czech Farmhouse, the
Kalich House.
The Kana Brothers,
Inc. House Leveling & Moving moved the Kalich House,
donated to the Texas Czech Heritage and Cultural Center
by Peggy and Jonathan Kalich in memory of their family,
onto the site. Volunteers from throughout the state
lovingly restored it. It served as the official TCHCC
Visitors’ Center from November 2001 until September 1,
2009 when the new Library and Museum was completed.
Ground breaking for
the new building designed by Roger Kolar, architect, was
held in June of 2008. Gaeke Construction was awarded the
bid for the 10,000 square foot building. Serving on the
Board were the following: Retta Slavik Chandler,
President, Johnnie Polasek, First Vice President, Marvin
Marek, Second Vice President, Joseph Bartosh, Third Vice
President, Barbara Hruby, Secretary, Dennis Vanek,
Treasurer, Ben Bohuslav, Richard Cernosek, Paul T.
Hlavinka, Ed Krivacka, Larry Laznovsky, Sandra
Matthijetz, William Melnar, Rudy Patek, William H.
Schovajsa, Raymond Snokhous, and Pavla Van Bibber.
Honorary Board Members are Dan Marek and Elo Goerig.
Another major
component of the TCHCC, now on the site, is the large
Sanford Schmid Amphitheater that overlooks the Colorado
River Valley with stadium type seating for 400. In July
of 2003, a Wallachian Bell and Belfry, from the Roznov
region of Moravia and on exhibit in Washington, D. C. in
1995, were donated to the TCHCC by the Czech Heritage
Society of Texas and were moved onto the TCHCC site.
An additional
farmhouse, donated to the TCHCC by the Migl family, was
moved to the site and restored by the Migl family. The
Bucek Building (originally a fur trading company)
donated by Mr. Roy Bucek was moved to TCHCC on May 11,
2005. The Hoelscher Haus donated to TCHCC by Henry and
Esther Hoelscher was moved to the site on October 19,
2005. It houses the Polka Lovers Club of Texas Museum. A
twin log barn restored by Ed Vasek with the help of his
brothers, Ernest, David and Robert was added to the
Texas Czech Village. TCHCC will continue to develop the
Village.
Members who have
served on the Board to promote the goals of TCHCC are
the following: Dorothy Bohac (deceased), Glenn Hutka
(deceased), George Hruby, Vice President (deceased),
Jerry Elzner (deceased), Elo Goerig, Eugene Labay, Woody
Smith, Mildred Bohlmann, Ernest Bezdek, Carolyn Meiners
Heinsohn, Pat Parma, and Dan Marek.
In June of 2007,
the Texas Czech Heritage and Cultural Center was
recognized and honored with the Masaryk Gratias Agit.
This prestigious award is presented by the Czech Foreign
Ministry for work in promoting Czech heritage and
culture. Accepting the award in Prague at the Cernan
Palace were President Retta Chandler and Vice President
Johnnie Polasek.
The development of
TCHCC was made possible through many generous monetary
contributions countless volunteer hours, and numerous
in-kind donations from people living in all parts of
Texas, some from other states as well as grants from the
Czech Foreign Ministry. All of these contributors can
feel pride in building a Czech Center for future
generations to enjoy.
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