Nebraska SVU Conference

by E. A. Kral, Wilber resident, writer, and historian

Wilber, Nebraska is a quaint, quiet Czech community of about 1,700 inhabitants along the scenic Big Blue River Valley in Saline County just 35 miles southwest of Lincoln, the state capital. It was founded in 1873 by Illinois geologist Prof Charles D. Wilber. A friend of U.S. President James A. Garfield, he aided the Burlington Railroad in the settlement of the  West, and helped Nebraska promoters attract high quality European immigrants. Gradually, the Czechs became the majority ethnic group in Wilber by the turn of the 20th century, and not only practiced their language and customs in several lodges in the community and surrounding area but also remained largely unchurched freethinkers and strong
supporters of the public schools and the American way of life.

     A farm community, Wilber is the county seat, and is situated within easy driving distance of various service industries and small factories. All the buildings in the town, aside from a few new businesses and residences, are late 19th and early 20th century in design. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places are the 1882 W. H. Mann woodframe mansion, the 1888 Brush Creek Sokol Hall five miles southwest of town, the 1895 brick Hotel Wilber, the 1928 classic marble Saline County Courthouse, and the 1930 Sokol Auditorium.

     Known for their thrift and patriotism, residents in the area survived droughts and economic recessions, and supported all of America's wars. For example, Saline County had the fewest bank failures in Nebraska in the 1930'S, and exceeded war bond quotas during World War II. Politically, the Wilber Precinct generally supports liberal candidates, and has voted for Republican presidential nominees only three times in its history: James Garfield in 1880, Theodore Roosevelt in 1904, and George W. Bush in 2000.

     From the beginning, the expressive Czech culture was evident at celebrations to honor Jan Hus, dances and plays at the Opera House, and in the schools' fine arts activities. Parades, gymnastic events, and street fairs were prevalent for many decades in the town. Pulitzer Prize-winning author Willa Cather visited the town before completing her 1918 novel My Antonia, and wrote with fondness about Wilber in her 1923 essay "Nebraska."

     Included in its rich heritage are visits from such famous persons as suffragette Susan B. Anthony, the Mormon leader Joseph Smith III, presidential candidates Robert F. Kennedy,  Robert Kerrey, Theodore Roosevelt, and William Howard Taft, the Hollywood movie star Robert Taylor, the granddaughter of Russian author Leo Tolstoy, the brother of Czechoslovak president Eduard Benes, and Czech author Bohumil Hrabal.

     Though graduates of the local school system have excelled, and many have earned doctorate degrees from various colleges nationwide, the use of the Czech language declined after World War II, and gradually the annual harvest celebrations, summer band concerts, and participation in the Saline County Fair at nearby Crete suffered from losses in attendance.

     But since 1962, when the Wilber Czech Festival was founded principally by Walter and Helene Novak Baer, with cooperation from state and many local leaders, interest in the Czech heritage has been revived. The largest ethnic festival in Nebraska, held annually the first full weekend in August, attracts an average of 40 to 50 thousand visitors. It features such events as afternoon parades, a historical pageant, an art show, indoor and outdoor dancing, displays at the Wilber Czech Museum, and the Miss Czech-Slovak USA Queen Pageant.   Authentic costumes worn by participants, workers, and some visitors, Czech food, a beer garden, bands, decorated store fronts, Czech and American flags, an old-world atmosphere, free parking, and free admission for nearly all events make it a remarkable family and fine arts affair.

     The Festival and town's heritage have received several Nebraska awards the past 40 years, and recent publicity in the Boston Globe, USA Today, Midwest Living, Historic Preservation, and Nase Rodina.

     For information year around about the community, rooms at the Hotel, or Festival, phone the City Offices at (402) 821-3233 or toll free (888) 494-5237.
Or consult website address http://www.ci.wilber.ne.us and write to the City of Wilber, Box 486, Wilber, NE 68465.

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Nebraska SVU Conference