Pilsen, Kansas

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Pilsen, Kansas
Unincorporated community
Pilsen, Kansas
Location within the state of Kansas
Coordinates: 38°28′17″N 097°02′25″W / 38.47139°N 97.04028°W / 38.47139; -97.04028Coordinates: 38°28′17″N 097°02′25″W / 38.47139°N 97.04028°W / 38.47139; -97.04028[1]
Country United States
State Kansas
County Marion
Founded 1874
Government
 • Type Unincorporated
Elevation[1] 1,434 ft (437 m)
Time zone CST (UTC-6)
 • Summer (DST) CDT (UTC-5)
Area code(s) 785
FIPS code 20-55875 [1]
GNIS feature ID 0477246 [1]

Pilsen is an unincorporated community in Marion County, Kansas, United States.[1][2] It is named after the city Plzeň in Czech Republic, formerly Bohemia.[3] The community of Pilsen has always had a population less than 100, which is too low to incorporate as a city.[3]

History

19th century

For millennia, the land now known as Kansas was inhabited by Native Americans. In 1803, most of modern Kansas was secured by the United States as part of the Louisiana Purchase. In 1854, the Kansas Territory was organized, then in 1861 Kansas became the 34th U.S. state. In 1855, Marion County was founded.

The community was founded in 1874 and named to honor the city of Plzeň of Bohemia by Bohemian immigrants.[3] The area was settled in the 1870s and 1880s by 46 Bohemian families of Czech and German descent who purchased their land from the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway.[4]

In 1888, the first Catholic church was built. It was a two-story frame building; the upper floor was the church and the lower flower was the rectory. The building was converted into a convent after the second church was built.[3]

Up until about 1902, the community was centered around a General Store that was located approximately 1.5 miles (2.4 km) south of the current Pilsen site.[3]

20th century

Captain Chaplain Emil Joseph Kapaun

After the General Store closed in 1902, Mr and Mrs Cerny built a new two-story store at the current Pilsen site, and continued to operate it until 1944, then later it was torn down in 1970.[3]

The current St. John Nepomucene Catholic church as built in 1914-1915. Train carloads of brick were ordered from Kansas City then delivered to the closest station in Lincolnville. The pile of bricks in Pilsen was so large that people often joked "how many churches are you going to build?" The church cost approximately $30,000, but the cost would have been higher if it had not been for the local volunteer labor. In 1924, an eleven room rectory was built. In the early 1940s, Emil Kapaun was pastor at the church and assisted Father Sklenar.[3]

A post office existed in Pilsen from March 17, 1917 to March 8, 1957.

21st century

On June 3, 2001, volunteers dedicated a statue honoring Chaplain Emil Kapaun at St. John Nepomucene Church.

In 2010, the Keystone-Cushing Pipeline (Phase II) was constructed near Pilsen, north to south through Marion County, with much controversy over road damage, tax exemption, and environmental concerns (if a leak ever occurs).[5][6][7]

Geography

Pilsen is located at 38°28′17″N 97°2′25″W / 38.47139°N 97.04028°W / 38.47139; -97.04028 (38.4714024, -97.0402972),[1] approximately 7.5 miles (12.1 km) north of Marion.

Area events

Area attractions

  • St John Nepomucene Catholic Church. The highlight of the small community of Pilsen is St John Nepomucene Catholic Church.[8] The cornerstone was laid in 1914 by Father John Sklenar, the first parish priest.[9] The church can be seen for miles around the flat farming community of Pilsen. The church itself is 120 feet tall, topped by a silver-colored neo-Gothic dome. St John Nepomucene, for whom the church was named is the patron saint of Bohemia and Christian martyr of the 14th Century.[4][10]
  • Marion Reservoir, approximately 7 miles (11 km) southwest of Pilsen.

Education

Primary and secondary education

Pilsen is part of Unified School District 397.[11][12] The high school is a member of T.E.E.N., a shared video teaching network between five area high schools.[13] All students attend schools in Lost Springs area.

Infrastructure

2005 KDOT Map of Marion County (map legend)

Transportation

U.S. Route 77 is 4.5 miles (7.2 km) east, and U.S. Route 56 is 7.5 miles (12.1 km) south of the community.

Utilities

Notable people

See also

Further reading

Pilsen
  • Early Pilsen Community History; Jane C. Rupp; Marion Record; September 16, 1937.
Marion County
Father Emil Kapaun
  • The Miracle of Father Kapaun: Priest, Soldier and Korean War Hero; Wenzl and Heying; Ignatius Press; 200 pages; 2013; ISBN 978-1586177799.
  • A Saint Among Us: Remembering Father Emil J. Kapaun; Father Kapaun Guild; 168 pages; 2005; ISBN 978-0976846604.
  • A Shepherd in Combat Boots: Chaplain Emil Kapaun of the 1st Cavalry Division; William Maher; Burd Street Press; 199 pages; 1997; ISBN 978-1572493056.

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 Geographic Names Information System (GNIS) details for Pilsen, Kansas; United States Geological Survey (USGS); October 13, 1978.
  2. ↑ Pilsen - Skyways.
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5 3.6 Marion County Kansas, Past and Present; Sondra Van Meter; 1972.
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 A Shephard in Combat Boots: Chaplain Emil Kapaun of the 1st Cavalry Division; William L. Maher; 1997; Burd Street Press, page 22.
  5. ↑ Keystone Pipeline - Marion County Commission calls out Legislative Leadership on Pipeline Deal; April 18, 2010.
  6. ↑ Keystone Pipeline - TransCanada inspecting pipeline; December 10, 2010.
  7. ↑ Keystone Pipeline - County ask TransCanada for pipeline emergency plan; Hillsboro Free Press; February 15, 2011.
  8. ↑ St John Nepomucene Catholic Church
  9. ↑ The Marion Review, June 18, 1941.
  10. ↑ St John Nepomucene
  11. ↑ USD 397
  12. ↑ Kansas School District Boundary Map
  13. ↑ T.E.E.N. video teaching network
  14. ↑ /pilgrimage_draws_hundreds_to_pilsen+37pilgrimage+50696c6772696d6167652064726177732068756e647265647320746f2050696c73656e Pilgrimage draws hundreds to Pilsen
  15. ↑ http://www.military.com/daily-news/2013/04/11/moh-awarded-to-korean-war-chaplain.html?ESRC=dod.nl

External links

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