The Vokouns of Chicagoland

"If we stick together, we will win." Indeed. Garment workers surely seem to be the best-dressed strikers At this point, two weeks into the strike, the union officers are expressing confidence but then what else are they going to say. However, at strikers meeting, the pain of missing wages is noted as some of the workers are "sorely in need". Meanwhile the manufacturers release their statement in an effort to garner public support. It accuses the striking cuttings of "terrorizing 20,000 tailors" with a sympathy strike when in fact the cutters had "all the wages they asked for." Also, in case you are wondering, the manufacturers are not anti-union just anti-THIS-union with its "irrational, inexperienced, and incompetent" leaders (presumably because they are demanding an hourly wage).  We assuredly can know that the manufacturers are reasonable and fair because any cutter can accept "the conditions that the employer names" and ha...

And a measure of bad temper. It is hard to beat shooting at each other for violent response but, a day later, what the sides lack in weaponry they make up for in enthusiasm determination. At one factory, the strikers gather while the workers inside wait, and wait, and wait longer to actually leave the building. The workday ends at 5:00 but most don't attempt to go home until 6:45. This doesn't prevent the ensuing fight. The attacked scab is a German only-speaking immigrant. Also of note, some of the special order tailors are lured back to work by promise of increase wages and fewer hours. These include one Paul Masek living at 646 W. 18th Street, three doors down from Charles and Mary Vokoun who were living at 640 W. 18th Street, among many other residents of 18th. Meanwhile, at least one tailor organization, Manufacturing Tailors' Beneficial Association, comes out against the strike and, in opposition, to the United Garment Workers of America. Can a house divided stand?

Don't forget the secret password! The major players in the strike are the manufacturers who are large commercial entities that sell and distribute clothing. They are represented by the Manufacturers Association. The contractors seem to be the middlemen who contract with the manufactures for the actual production of garments and then employ individual cutters and tailors to perform the work. I believe that the so-called "Bohemian bosses" in the article are contractors. Finally there are the individual tailors and cutters represented by the unions. Although technically a cutters' strike, the lack of cut cloth materially limits the tailors ability to work such that the two occupations are intertwined. With that background, here is the news from the "southwestern sweating district." The stage is set. The manufacturers have already started hiring scabs to replace the union cutters and say that they can hold out indefinitely. The union claims to be able to hold ou...

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 ...

I love all things, not only the grand but the infinitely small: thimble, spurs, plates, flower vases.   - Pablo Neruda A vase as exquisite as the arrangement one might put in it Rudolph was not the only talented member of his family. In fact, his family was remarkably artistic. Music performance and composition, painting, flowers, and show dogs were all part of this family's repertoire. Henriette was a porcelain painter as this post will show. Miriam was a pianist who performed, taught and compose. Henry? He did a bit of all of this and that as well. First, a bit of family history. Rudolph died in 1939 in Chicago. Henriette, Miriam and Henry moved to Almeda, California where they appeared in the 1940 census. It is not clear what brought them there but it must have been a family decision. Miriam was 24 and Henry was 19. Neither was yet married. Henry was working as a mechanic, possibly to help support the family. He would work as a mechanic for the rest of his life. He was no local ...