1-12. Mrs. Elsie Prochazka, Dardanelle, Arkansas, was born in
Tedrozice [sic Vedrovice? or Trzice?], Czechoslovakia, November 19,
1890. In 1905 she came to the United States with one of her uncles and
two cousins. She arrived in Chicago at the age of 16. There she worked
at housekeeping for different families until her marriage to Jim
Prochazka in 1912. After their marriage they came to Arkansas by train
to visit relatives, like the country, and stayed. On this trip Mrs.
Prochazka saw and rode her first train. It was lit with kerosene lamps
and candles and used wood for fuel. Mrs. Prochazka has seven children
and two grandchildren. Her husband died in 1932.
Bohemian
13-16. When she arrived in Arkansas the typical home was a common
frame building with wood burning fireplaces and lighted with kerosene
lamps and candles. Women's and children's clothing were made of cotton
checks and flannel and the men wore "jeans" made of blue denim.
17. Early foods were wheat, corn, potatoes,
rice, and cereals were rice and mush. They raised their own hogs and
chickens and had plenty of fish and wild fowl, such as turkeys, ducks,
and geese.
25. Some of the wild plants they used were poppy
seed, paw-paws, poke salad, and sassafras roots (for medicinal
purposes).
All early farm
implements were home-made out of wood. Wagons, plows, and harrows were
all drawn by oxen and horses.
18. The clothing was all made by hand. The men wore
“jeans” made from blue denim.
30-34. In Czechoslovakia all children were made
to go to school up to the age of 14. One teacher taught from 60-70
pupils in a one room school house. When the pupils finished the eighth
grade they paid tuition to finish high school.
27. In town or country everyone kept barrels of
water for the purpose of combating fires. Mrs. Prochazka says that in
the "Old Country" each town had a pond of water for this purpose. When
fire broke out they carried the water from the pond of water for this
purpose. When fire broke out they carried the water from the ponds in
baskets similar to our cotton baskets, except that they were lined.
35. When Mrs. Prochazka first came to Dardanelle
the only reading matter she had was a weekly newspaper written in
Bohemian language sent to her by her sister in Chicago. She has learned
to speak and read the English language since she came here.
Then, as now, the
favorite celebrations of the Bohemians are birthdays of the "old folks"
and weddings. Either of these calls for an all night dance and a
midnight supper. Other favorite customs are quiltings, charivaries, corn
huskings, hog killings, and feather pickings.
