Daniel Schustek (Sustek
Adventurer, Early Settler, Promoted Slovak Migration

Daniel Sustek portrayed America, in many, but not all of his articles, as a land worthy of Slovaks, who wished to improve their condition, to move to.  Owning land would be an important lure.

In 1877, he was in Iowa with his Foshinbaur brother-in-law, looking into land purchases.  The article he wrote describing his activity there portrayed Iowa as a very good place to settle.  While he indicated in the article that he bought land, he did not stay there.  While he encouraged Slovaks to migrate to the United States and own their own land, he returned to Chicago, indicating that he had a really good job in a business with 400 employees and his salary was among the highest of them all.  (12)

Henrik Rohlicek, read Daniel’s story in the Obzor, wrote to Daniel, and eventually Daniel indicated that the Rohlicek family arrived in the United States and would work the Iowa farm land that Sustek had purchased. (12)

There is a ship record for Henrik Rohlicek family arriving at Baltimore on 5-25-1878 aboard the ship Baltimore. (Henri 45, Theresia 38, Theresia 19, Pauline 9, Karoliine 8, Stefan 6, Mathias 3, Maria – Infant. (13) No other records have been found so far for the family in Iowa, though Ancestry has what appears to be family records for land in South Dakota and other records in California.

Beginning in 1875 records for Daniel Sustek, as Daniel Schustek (and other spelling variations) appear in Family Search and Ancestry, along with newspaper clippings.  The 1875 Chicago Directory lists Daniel Schusteck as a cabinet maker living at 210 Sebor, and in 1880 as a “pattern maker” at 231 Maxwell. (14)

The 1880 census confirms that address, listing Daniel Schuslek 35, Barbary 25, Danial 3 and Mary 1. A June 12, 1895 article appearing in the Chicago Tribune records that Sustek still had an occupancy on Maxwell Street.  The article “Boys Smoke Cigarets of Clover”, describes a fire on the premises and provides us with additional information on

Daniel Sustek’s numerous endeavors. “D. Schustek, who keeps a steamship ticket agency on the first floor, and damaged it to the extent of $1,000.” (15)

An article which appeared in the 1998 Winter Volume of CSAGSI’s quarterly journal, KORENY, which was summarized from a 1962 publication of Antonin Hrebik described the chartering, in 1892, of the first Slovak Sokol in Chicago.

“…… Daniel Shustek brought from Slovakia two sons of his brother, Andrew and Jan Shustek, who became charter membes of the first Slovak Sokol unit in the United States, established in the neighborhood of South Halsted and DeKoven street on October 30, 1892, and was chartered as the First Slovak Sokol of Chicago.

The charter meeting, or, as recorded in the first minutes of the newly established society, the general assembly was presided over by the organizer, Mr. Jan Svehla, who welcomed the attending compatriots and explained the purpose of the meeting and the intentions of the organizers to establish a physical education society with the same ideals and goals as those toward which the Czech sokol had endeavored in America since 1865….” (16)

In 1893, the United States branch of Matica Slovenska was founded in Chicago.  It was this Slovak organization based in Martin, Slovakia through which Sustek had his book published.  While it gained over 1,000 members in its first year, it appears that internal disagreements between USA Slovak organizations led to its demise in the USA after five years. (17)

In the 1894 Amerikan Kalendar, which contains information on the 1893 Columbian Exposition, Daniel Sustek is pictured with other Slovaks in one of the National Slovak organizations. (18)

In 1896, the Chicago Tribune listed new corporations licensed in Illinois.  The Slavonic Building and Loan Association, capitalized at one million dollars was incorporated by Daniel Schustek, Andrew Schustek and others. (19)