Our reader Monika discovers the nooks and crannies of the United States of America. She started her adventurous journey in sunny Florida and did not miss a small town that owes its creation to Slovaks and Czechs. She saw Masaryktown with her own eyes. A group of Slovak and Czech immigrants moved here from New York and Pennsylvania in the years 1924 – 1926. Their dream was to establish an agricultural community.
They bought approximately 10,000 acres of land in Hernando County and founded a town that they named after Tomáš G. Masaryk, to the “founding father” and the first president of the independent Czechoslovak Republic, which was established in 1918 with the help of American President Woodrow Wilson.
Monika’s heart warmed when she visited a distant city. The streets of the city were named after Slovak and Czech patriots and writers who contributed to the movement for independence, as well as American presidents.
“Initial attempts to grow citrus and vegetables failed, but eventually a thriving poultry and egg-producing community developed here. Slovak cultural traditions have been maintained here for more than half a century,” informs the board, which was sent to us by a reader to the editorial office.
She also visited a building named Masaryk Hotel. It was built in 1925 and initially served as a dormitory and first refuge for newly arrived settlers. It kept this name until 1997. You can see how the former hotel looks today in the photo gallery. It currently houses a Cuban restaurant.
In the town of Masaryktown, Monika was also tempted by a local cafe, where she indulged in two coffees with milk. She paid a total of $7.43 (about €6.40) for the order, although the drinks themselves cost $6.98 (€6). The difference is $0.45 tax, which in the USA is added to prices only at checkout. You can find a PHOTO of the account in the gallery!
