“Tabor”

Tabor named for a Bohemian town of that name can well be called ‘The Mother City of Dakota Czechs’. Frank Bem advertised for Czechs who wanted to take up new land and a large contingent came in 1869 and by April 14, 1872, at a meeting, it was decided to buy the homestead of Johanna Kocer and the town was platted by Frank Bem. The first town officers

were John Hakl, chairman, Joseph Vyborny, vice-chairman, Vaclav Janda, Clerk and Joseph Hruska, treasurer. The first postmaster was Vicel Joseph Janda appointed in January, 1873. The 160 acres was divided into 53 lots with 40 acres set aside for the town and 3 acres each for the cemetery, church and school. A school district was organized in 1873 and the first school was built of logs, Joseph Zitka the first school teacher with 30 pupils. The first Catholic church was built of chalk rock hauled form the Missouri bluffs and built in 1872. The first resident priest was Father Joseph Krizek in 1877. He was succeeded by others until 1893 when Father W.A. Bouska arrived to stay with the parish until he died in 1941. Matt Petrik, a music man came in 1872 and organized a band for which Tabor was famous for half a century. The 1880 census listed 569 names in the township very few of whom had other than Bohemian names. Vaclav Janda was the first storekeeper in 1876. In 1895 its population was only 89 but the coming of the Milwaukee Railroad in 1900 found it with 301 people in 1905. A solid town it has remained over the years just short of 400 people ‘The Heart of Czech Dakota-Land’.

Bon Homme County, SD 50 & 52 (1988)