The Parade

Bohemian Day Coming

The Indianapolis News, Indianapolis, Indiana, Monday, July 31, 1893, Page 1.

……..It is expected that from 10,000 to 15,000 Bohemians will take part in the procession.  There are about 300 Bohemian societies in Chicago alone.  Special excursion trains will be run from Omaha, Cleveland, and other principal cities where Bohemians reside, and on August 12 the Chicago Bohemian day will be a truly national day, for all factions are vying with each other for the success of the celebration.

Bohemians Celebrate Today
Chicago Tribune, Chicago, Illinois, Saturday, August 12, 1893, Page 3.

They will Parade.  Listen to Concerts and Speeches, and Have Games.

This will be Bohemian day in the city and at the Exposition.  The 300 Bohemian societies of Chicago have been receiving reinforcements all the week from Omaha, Cleveland, and other large cities.  The celebration begins with the parade of this morning, in which it is expected that 15,000 persons will march.  In the procession will be carried a banner made by the women of Bohemia, and by them presented to their countrymen in America, in recognition of the assistance of the Bohemian Americans in sustaining private schools.  The floats, of which there will be many, will illustrate the victory of the bohemians over the Tartars, the founding of the University of Prague, Prince Krok and his three wise daughters, the introduction of Christianity into Moravia, and the victory of the Hussites over the Crusaders. The trades also will be fully illustrated.  Religious lines will be completely ignored.

The down town procession will move at 8 o’clock sharp, tomorrow morning, starting from Ashland avenue and Eighteenth street, east to Halsted street, north to Jackson street, east to Dearborn street, north to Adams street, east to Michigan avenue, south to Van Buren street.

Tis Bohemian Day

The Oshkosh Northwestern, Oshkosh, Wisconsin, Saturday, August 12, 1893, Page 1.

Chicago, Aug. 12 – It is calculated that over 100,000 Bohemians have arrived in this city during the past twenty-four hours to participate in the celebration of Bohemian day at the World’s fair.  The demonstration has more than a passing interest, owing to the fact that the date was chosen a week earlier than that for the Austro-Hungarian celebration, in order that the Bohemians might signify their dissatisfaction with the existing relations between their fatherland and the ruling power.  Beyond the withdrawal of the Bohemians from the Austrian celebration, however, no action of a political character will be taken.

The parade in the down town streets with which the festivities were inaugurated this morning, contained in the neighborhood of 15,000 Bohemians and Bohemian-Americans, and as indicated by their banners, included representatives of every school of thought from atheism to the orthodox creeds. The line disbanded shortly after noon, and the participants immediately repaired to the fairgrounds, where a mass meeting, a natives concert and athletic contests were held this afternoon.

 

Bohemia at the Fair

The Chicago Tribune, Chicago, Illinois, Sunday, August 13, 1893, Page 2.

Its People Celebrate Lustily Their Day In The White City

Dvorak and Hlavac delight them at Festival Hall, after they had had a big parade down town.  Lieut. Gov. Jonas of Wisconsin delivers an oration, then the Athletic Exercises take place.

Bohemia ruled the World’s Columbian Exposition yesterday.  It was the special date set apart for that nationality, and its citizens invaded the White City at every entrance by the thousands.  They went early and stayed late.  The red and white colors under which they and their brave forefathers have been fighting for liberty more than 200 years were prominently in evidence everywhere.  Music and singing societies, athletic associations and school leagues, sharpshooters, Bohemian American Knights, rowing clubs, secret society orders, benevolent bodies, labor unions, and many other organizations were out in great numbers.  There were visiting Bohemians from New York, Milwaukee, and Cleveland, Omaha, and many other cities and towns.  It was a great day for the American Bohemian population all around.  They had shown themselves off to the multitudes down town in a gorgeous street parade some two or three miles long and reached the Fair ground between 11 and 12 o’clock full of excitement and enthusiasm.  It was an interesting sight to witness the scrambling style in which they crowded the Illinois Central trains, the Elevated trains, the cable cars, the boats, and every other means of transportation to the center of attraction.  As far as possible the organizations made the trip in bodies.  There were 500 athletic young men in blue roundabouts and gray trousers and 300 girls in blue dresses and caps, experts in dumb bell swinging that attracted much attention, and the singing societies in white and blue.

The morning parade was through the streets in the southwest wards of Chicago. By 8 o’clock most of the organizations were at the rendezvous, Eighteenth street and Ashland avenue.  The streets in this locality were thronged with people and many of the buildings were decorated.  Occasionally the ensigns of Austria were noticed.  Fully 10,000 men were in line.  The Turner societies were out in force and all the Bohemian organizations were represented.  Many allegorical floats, represents events in history, had place.  The procession required two hours in passing any given point.  The line of march was from Ashland avenue to Eighteenth street, east to Halsted street, north to Jackson street, east to Dearborn street, north to Adams street, east to Michigan avenue, south to Van Buren street.  L.W. Kadlec was Grand Marshal.

 

Czechs All of Them

The Inter Ocean, Chicago, Illinois, Sunday, August 13, 1893, Page 5.

Bohemian day was a big one.  The appearance of the exposition grounds indicated that it drew out the cream of the Czech population.  Bohemians were among the first to come through the gates in the morning, and until late in the afternoon parties with yellow and red banner were frequent arrival.  They came in largest numbers soon after the breaking up of the procession downtown.  Many prominent Bohemian citizens drove up to the Fair gates in gorgeously decorated carriages.  Lieutenant Governor Jonas of Wisconsin, the orator of the day, came in this way, entering at the Sixty Second street gates, and going directly to Festival hall.

 

The Bohemian Voice, Volume 2, No. 1 September 1, 1893
https://digitalcommons.unomaha.edu/bohemian/

All the newspapers of Chicago, English, German, Bohemian, Polish, Italian, etc., concur in the opinion that the "Bohemian Day" at the Chicago World's Fair, August 12, was a great success. Notwithstanding the frantic efforts of the Austrian Commissioner to induce our people to celebrate the "Austrian" day, the Bohemian secessionist remained true to his national colors of red and white, and, forgetting at least for one day the religious rancor which separates the freethinker from the Catholic and Protestant—marched out as a Bohemian, proud to do homage to his little native country. As a result of this happy union of our people, "Bohemian Day," August 12, saw by far the most imposing gathering of Bohemian people ever held abroad. The "Austrian Day" which was held one week later, August 18, paled into utter insignificance before Bohemia's great day; for while the marching columns of Bohemians comprised some 15,000 men and women, the "Austrians" had in line only about 700 in all! (Image Left - Attendance Information, Chicago Tribune, Monday, October 2, 1893, Page 1.) In enthusiasm that manifested itself everywhere, and, particularly in moral force, the Bohemian celebration towered far above the Austrian; the tone of the speeches too, contrasted remarkably. While the eloquent address of Mr. Jonas breathed the loftiest American patriotism, the Austrian speakers seemed to vie with each other in heaping fulsome praise upon a weakling emperor.

Every Bohemian must be satisfied with the success of the "Bohemian Day." And may the recollection of it animate us to new efforts and new victories!

Early in the morning the wearers of red and white rosettes—men, women and children — were scattered broadcast over Jackson Park. After the parade down town this number was added to in a manner that surprised even those who had expected a large attendance. With this latter delegation came bands of music, men wearing tbe gaudy uniform of some Bohemian organization, men wearing the blue jacket and gray hat and trousers of the Bohemian Turners, and girls wearing the blue dresses and black cap of their organizations. From that time they came in hundreds by street cars, elevated trains, Illinois Central Railroad, and the steamboat lines till it seemed as if Bohemia had emptied her entire population into the white city. Every face wore a happy expression in anticipation of the speeches, the music, and the games. The Bohemians came from almost every large city, and many of the smaller cities in the United States, and their number was swelled by the people of Chicago. Upon the members of the 300 Chicago Bohemian societies devolved the duty of preparing for and conducting this day of days at the fair, and they did it in a manner characteristic of the faithfulness and energy of the Bohemians. Many states, nations and societies have had "days" at the fair, but the grandest of them all must fall far back in the distance behind that of Bohemia.

Witnesses of the down-town parade wondered where so many Bohemians came from. Businessmen watched a while, then left on an hour's errand and returned. The procession was still moving. Off on another errand and back again an hour later. Bohemia's national air was wafted to their ears. Columns of uniformed men were still marching by. Gayly caparisoned horses bore carriages containing the flower of Bohemia's beauty. There was no single or double file business about the parade. The men marched eight abreast, so close that they almost stepped upon each other's heels. It was a notable parade, notable for its order and arrangement, notable for its fine marching, notable for its good music, its elaborate allegorical floats, notable most of all for the great outpouring of men who made up the procession. It was over two hours in passing a given point and 20,000 is a modest estimate of its strength. It was a splendid turnout. There were societies without number, all bearing insignia of some description and carrying banners on most of which Bohemia's lion was rampant. It was an even parade throughout. The music and the floats were well distributed throughout the long line, and kept the spectators rooted to the spot till the body had passed along. L. W. Kadlec was grand marshal of the day.

 

"Recollections of the 1893 Chicago World's Columbian Exposition and Czech Day at the Fair" (A)

The Grand Marshal of the Parade was L.W. Kadlec and the good order and precision was witness to the choice of him by the committee.  For this day Czech Chicago was clothed in the most beautiful holiday colors.  All homes along 18th Street, the main Czech thoroughfare in Chicago, flew flags with Czech and American colors.  To welcome the visitors a large and elaborate triumphal arch was constructed on 18th Street in front of the C.S.P.S. (C.S.A.) building.  It bore the inscription “Vitame Vas”, (We welcome you).  A similar arch was constructed by the Catholic Lodges in front of the St. Procopius Church at 18th and Allport Street. (Image Left: Lawrence C. Kadlec (C)

Barely after sunrise, the morning of August 12th, the participants gathered on the streets where their units were to march.  The Sokol legions gathered in front of the Plzen Sokol on Ashland Avenue where they were enthusiastically greeted by random groups of onlookers.  The trained Sokols were dressed in grey pants, leotards and jackets which nicely displayed their robust figures.  Altogether they numbered 360 people and the view of that great vanguard was truly impressive.   After them came the numerous students of the physical training school and the girls training groups dressed in colorful Kroj costumes.  A Sokol wagon float presented the slogan “Homage to Sokol Thought”, was the most beautiful in the parade.  It was prepared according to the design of Brother Jarka Kosar, a former member of the Zizkov Sokol, Praha, now a member of the Sokol of Chicago.  (Image Right: Gathering on 18th Street for the parade (C))

As the Sokol marchers proceeded other lodges followed and there was not a single Czech lodge in Chicago, either Catholic or Freethinkers, which was not represented in the parade.  Experts stated there was a total of 20,000 persons in the procession, exceeding all previous matters of this type presented in Chicago.  The wagon floats, names those of the Sokols, C.S.P.S. (CSA), Woodsmen, Pilsen Butchers and Catholic lodges were magnificent and greatly enhances the parade.

The Czech parade thru the city was organized into nine divisions with L.W. Kadlec as the Grand Marshal and an Honor Guard of 25 men headed by Police Captain Frantisek B. Barcal. Each division has a Sub-Marshal and a marching band.  Division 1 has 6 Sub-Marshalls including such well known personages as Dr. F.J. Jirka, and Congressman Adolph J. Sabbath.  This division was the Sokol Division including 18 Chicago units, visiting Sokols from Nebraska, Ohio, Iowa and Missouri, as well as two wagon floats and carriages for women Sokols.

Division II was composed of Catholic Lodges with Jan Cermak as Marshall and 7 subdivisions each representing a church parish such as those of St. Wenceslas, St. John of Nepomuk, St Procopius, St. Vitus and others.  Each unit had a float termed a “living picture”.  An example is the St. Wenceslaus Church Float which depicted the baptism of Prince Borivoj (Krest Borivojuv) 874 A.D., the husband of St. Ludmilla.  Division II featured 16 lodge groups and 3 marching bands.

Division III included the uniformed groups such as Veterans, Sharpshooters, the George Washington Regiment, Czech American Knights and the Pilsen Butchers.  Division IV included 33 C.S.P.S, (CSA) Lodges from Chicago and nationally, as well as the National Grand Lodge and the Illinois Grand Lodge.  Division V included the Slavonic Lodges such as the Slovak Tatranska Jednota, the Serbian Montenegrins, a Red Cross unit and the Strossmayer #1 Lodge, parading with 40 carriages. (Image left: Parade Float (C))

Division VI included 12 Lodges of the Woodsmen, C.S.P.O. and C.S.B.P.J.. Division VII represented Union workmen, Tradesmen and Manufacturing Companies.  Division VIII was composed of Czech singing societies, Musis groups and the Social and Dramatic Associations. Division IX, with three Sub-Marshalls, including Czechs from Algonqun, Michigan, Odd Fellow Lodges, Unity of Czech Women Lodges, The Free Thinkers, Czech Methodist Episcopal Church, Ceska Beseda, Association of Czech Tavern Owners, Jan Hus congregation from California and the scholarship for Czech American Jews.

A total of 600 carriages were included in the entire procession.  It took two hours for the procession, with ranks of six people across, to pass a given point.  The parade route started from 18th and Ashland Ave. at the Plzen Sokol, then east on 18th to Halsted, north to Jackson, east to Dearborn St., north to Adams St., east to Michigan Ave. and south to Van Buren St.. There the marchers boarded the Illinois Central train to Jackson Park (5900 South) and the Fair.