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Chronicling America
National Endowment for the Humanities

Newspaper Pokrok Západu (Omaha, Neb.) 1871-1920 Issues for <May 11, 1875-Apr. 28, 1880> have English title in publisher's box: Progress of the West / Pokrok západu a Amerikán

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About Pokrok Západu (Omaha, Neb.) 1871-1920

Beginning on August 1, 1871, Pokrok Západu, or “Progress of the West” was published as a weekly Czech-language newspaper in Omaha, Nebraska, by the well-known publisher and editor of the Omaha Daily Bee, Edward Rosewater (1841-1906). Born in Bohemia, Rosewater immigrated to the United States in 1854. Known for his feisty temper, Rosewater aggressively espoused in his papers Republican Party views on issues such as slavery and immigration. The success of Pokrok Západu was immediate, in part because one in five immigrants of Czech descent lived in Omaha and other Nebraska communities. Sold at $1.00 per week, the paper often included works of fiction and poetry, articles on farming, reminiscences of the Old Country, as well as news of the day. Pokrok Západu was a large format paper at 15″ x 22″ and had a circulation of 20,000 by 1880.

In March 1876, Jan Rosický (1845-1910), also originally from Bohemia, became the editor of the paper, purchasing it from Rosewater in 1877. Previously, Rosická had edited the Hospodář (“Farmer”), an important agricultural magazine that encouraged Czechs to immigrate to the United States. Under his leadership, the Pokrok Publishing Company was formed, and gradually Pokrok Západu became an important regional newspaper for Czech communities in Nebraska, Kansas, Minnesota, Iowa, and the Dakotas. In the years that followed, the Pokrok Publishing Company produced various local editions of the newspaper. They included: Creteský Pokrok (Omaha & Crete, Nebraska), or “Progress of Crete,” 1905-19??; Pokrok (Clarkson, Schuyler & Omaha, Nebraska), or “Progress,” 1903-20; Kansaský Pokrok (Wilson, Kansas), or “Progress of Kansas,” ;19??- 20; Iowský Pokrok (Cedar Rapids, Iowa), or “Progress of Iowa,” 1906-19??; Minnesotský Pokrok (Minneapolis, St. Paul & Omaha), or “Progress of Minnesota,” 1908-20 (formerly St. Paul’s Minnesotský Noviny, or “Minnesota Newspaper,” 1904-19??); and, finally, Dakotský Pokrok (Tindall, South Dakota), or “Progress of the Dakotas,” 19??-19??

Following Jan Rosický’s death in 1910, the publishing enterprise continued under the direction of his daughter, Rose Rosický (1875-1954). Pokrok Západu and its extant local editions were finally absorbed into Chicago’s Hlasatel, or “Newsreader,” in 1920. Rose Rosický later published A History of Czechs in Nebraska in which she praised her father as a pioneer and leading newspaperman of his day.

Provided By: University of Nebraska-Lincoln Libraries, Lincoln, NE

About this Newspaper

Title

  • Pokrok Západu (Omaha, Neb.) 1871-1920

Other Title

  • Issues for have English title in publisher's box: Progress of the West
  • Pokrok západu a Amerikán

Names

  • Rosewater, Edward, 1841-1906
  • Rosický, Jan, 1845-1910

Dates of Publication

  • 1871-1920

Created / Published

  • Omaha, Neb. : Pokrok Publishing Company, -1920.

Headings

  • -  Czechs--United States--Newspapers
  • -  Czech Americans--Newspapers
  • -  Czech American newspapers
  • -  Omaha (Neb.)--Newspapers
  • -  Czech-American newspapers
  • -  Czech Americans
  • -  Czechs
  • -  Nebraska--Omaha
  • -  United States
  • -  United States--Nebraska--Douglas--Omaha

Genre

  • Newspapers

Notes

  • -  Weekly, Aug. 15, 1900-1920
  • -  Began with Aug. 1, 1871 issue.
  • -  -roč. 50, čís. 24 (29. pros. 1920).
  • -  Editors: Edward Rosewater, ; Jan Rosický, March 14, 1876-.
  • -  Archived issues are available in digital format from the Library of Congress Chronicling America online collection.
  • -  In Czech.
  • -  Issues for 1871-1877 published by: Edward Rosewater; 1877-srpen 1900 by Jan Rosický; srpen 1900- Pokrok Publishing Company.
  • -  Other eds. available: Creteský pokrok, 1905- ; Salinský pokrok, -1920; Pokrok (Clarkson, Neb.); Kansaský pokrok; Iowský pokrok, 1906- ; Minnesotské noviny, 1904- ; Minnésotský pokrok, -1920; Dakotský pokrok ; Pokrok západu (Semiweekly), <1892>-
  • -  Description based on: Roč. 1, čís. 4 (15. záři 1871).
  • -  Hlasatel 0744-656X (DLC)sn 82002636 (OCoLC)8483026

Medium

  • volumes

Call Number/Physical Location

  • Newspaper

Digital Id

Library of Congress Control Number

  • sn83045348

OCLC Number

  • 9427211

ISSN Number

  • 2469-2859

Succeeding Titles

Additional Metadata Formats

Availability

Rights & Access

The Library of Congress believes that the newspapers in Chronicling America are in the public domain or have no known copyright restrictions. Newspapers published in the United States more than 95 years ago are in the public domain in their entirety. Any newspapers in Chronicling America that were published less than 95 years ago are also believed to be in the public domain, but may contain some copyrighted third party materials. Researchers using newspapers published less than 95 years ago should be alert for modern content (for example, registered and renewed for copyright and published with notice) that may be copyrighted. Responsibility for making an independent legal assessment of an item and securing any necessary permissions ultimately rests with persons desiring to use the item.

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Cite This Item

Citations are generated automatically from bibliographic data as a convenience, and may not be complete or accurate.

Chicago citation style:

Pokrok Západu Omaha, Neb. -1920. (Omaha, NE), Jan. 1 1871. https://aj.sunback.homes/item/sn83045348/.

APA citation style:

(1871, January 1) Pokrok Západu Omaha, Neb. -1920. Retrieved from the Library of Congress, https://aj.sunback.homes/item/sn83045348/.

MLA citation style:

Pokrok Západu Omaha, Neb. -1920. (Omaha, NE) 1 Jan. 1871. Retrieved from the Library of Congress, aj.sunback.homes/item/sn83045348/.