Tabor

The Bohemian town the settlers named theirs for began as a radical experiment. In the spring of 1420 Hussites seized Hradiste Castle in South Bohemia and built a fortified settlement they called Hradiste hory Tabor, after Mount Tabor in Galilee. The Taborites addressed one another as brothers and sisters and taught that property should be held in common. Jan Zizka led their armies against crusading forces until his death in 1424, and their power was broken at Lipany on May 30, 1434. The Czech town now has about 34,000 people; its Dakota namesake counted 407 in 2020.

What the plaque says

Tabor Tabor named for a Bohemian town of that name can well be called "The Mother City of Dakota Czechs". Frank Bem advertised for Czechs who wanted to take up new land and a large contingent came in 1869 and by April 14, 1872, at a meeting, it was decided to buy the homestead of Johanna Kocer and the town was platted by Frank Bem. The first town officers were John Hakl, chairman, Joseph Vyborny, vice-chairman, Vaclav Janda, clerk and Joseph Hruska, treasurer. The first postmaster was Vicel Joseph Janda appointed in January, 1873. The 160 acres was divided into 53 lots with 40 acres set aside for the town and 3 acres each for the cemetery, church and school. A school district was organized in 1873 and the first school was built of logs. Joseph Zitka the first school teacher with 30 pupils. The first Catholic church was built of chalk rock hauled from the Missouri bluffs and built in 1872. The first resident priest was Father Joseph Krizek in 1877. He was succeeded by others until 1893 when Father E. A. Bouska arrived to stay with the parish until he died in 1941. Matt Petrik, a music man came in 1872 and organized a band for which Tabor was famous for half a century. The 1880 census listed 569 names in the township very few of whom had other than Bohemian names. Vaclav Janda was the first storekeeper in 1876. In 1895 its population was only 89 but the coming of the Milwaukee Railroad in 1900 found it with 301 people in 1905. A solid town it has remained over the years just short of 400 people "The Heart of Czech Dakota-Land". Erected 1966 by the Tabor Chamber of Commerce and State Highway Commission The Missouri River Was Historic Highway Historic Sites 1 Pacquette's Ferry 1855 2 Hotchkiss & Dexter Mill 1867 3 Willows 1861 Adelescat 1869 Jefferson 1873 4 14 Mile House 5 First Homestead in U.S. 1-1-1863 6 Fort Brule 1862 7 First Election in NW U.S. 8-22-1804 8 Fort Vermillion Fur Post 1833 9 Vermillion Fur Post, School, Church, Paper A First Catholic Church B St. Paul Lutheran Church C Lincoln P.O. 8-1864-00 D Post Vermillion 1823 E McClellan's Post 1805 F Fort Hutchson 1864 G Stanage Ferry 1859 H Greenway Ferry 1859 I Frost-Todd Trade Post 1859 J There are 16 historic markers located in YANKTON the "Mother City" K Custer Campsite April 1873 L Jack McCall Hung 1877 M Custer Campsite 1873 N Lewis & Clark Council with Sioux 1804 O Spirit Mound 1804 Erected 1966 by the Tabor Chamber of Commerce and State Highway Commission

Where it stands

Worth the stop nearby

• Santee Sioux Nation Museum — 12 mi
  The Isanti Dakota nation's museum and research room beside its headquarters at Santee, with census rolls from 1866, the mission school's photographs and a Dakota-language newspaper that ran for 68 years.
• Ponca Tribal Museum and Old Ponca Agency — 26 mi
  The Ponca Tribe of Nebraska's museum, powwow arena, talking trail and bison herd at the old agency near Niobrara, on homeland the nation was forced from in 1877.

More markers nearby

• First School in Bon Homme — 6.8 mi
• Replica Bon Homme School — 6.8 mi
• Hanging of Jack McCall — 13 mi
• West Wall Yankton Stockade — 14 mi