|
|
|
|
|
|
Viola Villa One of the earliest settlers to the area that came to be
known as Viola Villa was Jake Miller. He claimed a homestead and the road he settled
on was known as Another early settler that had a homestead near Mr. Miller was Mr. Shell. Frank Mlejnek, Sr. purchased the Shell property around 1900. In the early years of the 20th century, a land
agent for the Wisconsin Central Railroad, F.”Smiley”
Cmejla,
began advertising the cut-over regions up for sale in the area. Smiley
targeted the Czech-language newspapers published in Chicago (the Hlasatel and Svornost) along
the Hospodar
that was published in Mr. Cmejla sold the land for
$10/acre or $400/forty acres and received a fifty cent commission per acre
sold. Many Czechs moved to the area and purchased land packages from the
railroad through “Smiley”. A map of the land purchases was
drafted sometime around 1906-1907 that listed all the new Czech settlers who
had purchased the land and the Jake Miller road became known as the Viola
Villa Road, named after Smiley’s daughter
Viola and villa meaning a small village, hence Viola Villa. The area was
often referred to as the Bohemian Settlement or the Czech Settlement. Viola Although most of the Czech immigrants had been trained in a skilled profession in their homeland, many of them bought the cut-over lands so they could own their own farms and be their own boss. Some of the men worked in the logging business while others ventured into community businesses. In the summer of 1906, as the community grew, several of the settlers decided to form an organization. They called the group the Jenota Ceskyck Rolniku (Association of Bohemian Farmers). They later changed the name to the Bohemian Slavonian Farmers Association as they gained members from the nearby Slovac community. To build a hall for gatherings and to raise money for the organization, the new organization hosted picnics and dances. The Viola Villa Hall, as it came to be known, served the settlement well for many years. The Hall became the location for all social activities and gatherings in the Viola Villa community. Events ranged from meetings, dances, picnics, and plays to lectures and even funerals. The area is still home to many Czech and Slovak
descendents. In 1944 the Lidice
Monument was dedicated to the memory of the people of An annual Czech-Slovak Community Festival is held to celebrate the rich heritage of the many people who settled the area and whose many descendents reside there still. Early Settlers of Viola Villa. |
 |
WIGenWeb Assistant State Coordinator: Marcia Ann Kuehl Copyright 2024 by the WIGenWeb Team. All rights reserved. Copyright of submitted items belongs to those responsible for their authorship or creation unless otherwise assigned. |
 |