Nebraska Czechs of Wilber

Thirty nine years ago a group of interested citizens of Wilber, spearheaded by retired Army Colonels Walter and Helene Baer, conceived the idea of replacing Wilber's annual harvest festival with a two-day celebration the first weekend in August, every year dedicated to the preservation of the Czech heritage of the community.

The ethnic festival was an instant success, and in 1962 Wilber was proclaimed the Czech Capital of Nebraska by Governor Frank Morrison. Soon the emblem of Nebraska Czechs of Wilber, designed by Mrs. Elizabeth Zikmund and Mr. Baer, became the official emblem of other Czech groups in Nebraska, united in a statewide organization with branch chapters in all parts of the state.

The emblem, consisting of a plow and a sheaf of wheat, is representative of the strength and fortitude of the early Czech pioneers and their ethnic neighbors who turned this prairie land into a fruitful civilization dependent mainly upon agriculture for its existence.

Through the cooperation of all the good citizens in Wilber and the surrounding area who are interested in the preservation of the Czech heritage, the Wilber Czech Festival has become one of the leading tourist attractions of the state and is not only preserving the heritage of the people for years to come but has made, and will continue to make, a major contribution to the economic development of Wilber and Nebraska and the United States.

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