The Vokouns of Chicagoland

When cutters and trimmers decide to be quitters. Now that I have finished the stories on Frank and Charles, I'm posting a series of articles about the cutter and trimmer strike in the spring of 1896. They highlight the role Bohemians played in the garment industry labor movement. By this time, the Vokouns have been in Chicago for twenty years. Josepha has just died. Jan is probably retired or on the verge. Meanwhile, all of the children are married and/or working. As I have mentioned previously, Frank and Charles operate tailor shops out of their homes. Additionally the oldest grandchild (Frank's son), Frank James, is 18 and working as a cutter but still a few years from marrying Bertha Vanderbiest. His sister, Anna, is 12 years old but will start working as a "factory girl" by 1900, presumably making clothing, and will marry another cutter, James Placek, a four years later. Rudolph's wife, Lydia Vokoun and her sister, Anna Maruska, have both worked in tailor shop...

The strongest bond of human sympathy outside the family relation should be one uniting working people of all nations and tongues and kindreds. - Abraham Lincoln Throughout this blog, I have written about the role of family and the Chicago Bohemian community. In Charles story, I emphasized the role of fraternity our immigrant family. There was at least one other kinship that one can't but help believe played a large role in their experience - the labor movement of the time. Although, I touched on this in an earlier post, I continue to find interesting information to share. (Ultimately, I will edit these better to discuss tailoring in one and the labor movement in another. In the meantime, I apologize if I am repetitive). The Vokoun family fortunes were inextricably tied to the tailoring trade. The tailoring done by Frank,  Charles and their families in their homes, in service for retail tailor shops was not an easy profession. For one thing, business was seasonal with highest demand...

Fraternity is the fuel that allows common people to produce uncommon results. - unknown The 1980's being my formative years, it is incredibly difficult write about fraternity without  Animal House references but for you, my gentle readers, I am determined to try. That said, reading about the times it becomes clear that fraternal or benevolent orders in Bohemian life in Chicago (and immigrant life more generally) at the turn of the 20th century were very significant community "glues" within the ethnic enclaves of the new American urban life. Understanding the immigrant experience requires, I think, an appreciation for these societies. More about this later after an introduction to Charles and his family. Anna Bechyně Vokoun had died in September 1862 of typhoid fever. She was 25 years old and left Jan with a young family. Frank was 4, Rudolph was 2, and Louis was 9 months. Jan quickly found another spouse. He and Josephine Sazima were married in February 1863. Karel ...