Pisek North Dakota

Pisek, North Dakota was established in 1882 by Frank P. Rumreich and other Czech and Moravian settlers. Pisek was chosen as the name partly because some of the settlers had come from Pisek, Czechoslovakia, and also because the town was built near a sand ridge and Pisek means sand in Czech.


Here is a map of Pisek today:

Take the Pisek Virtual Historic Tour


The St. John Nepomucene Catholic Church in Pisek was blessed on the feast of St. John Nepomucene May 16, 1887. Monsignor Joseph Hessoun, a Missouri priest, conducted services on July 5, 1887.


Pisek - the First Century: A History of Pisek, ND and Its People was published in 1982 to commemorate the 100th anniversary of Pisek. It contains 326 pages of town and family history, and has hundreds of photographs and historical records. It takes you back to the formation and early days of the town. This book is a rare find for genealogists, historians or anyone with an interest in Pisek, Walsh County or the history of Czechs and Slovaks in America.

Family names included in the book (number of instances shown in parentheses):
Bursick (36), Capouch (81), Cervenka (97), Chizek (5), Chromy (19), Chyle (186), Cicha (36), Denault (127), Dub (166), Dusek (64), Dvorak (225), Erovick (8), Foerster (49), French (12), Gillard (4), Greicar (558), Groscost (5), Hajicek (33), Hladik (37), Hodny (77), Houser (16), Houska (80), Hrabik (31), Jarolimek (23), Jarus (32), Jelinek (416), Just (13), Kachena (158), Kadlec (608), Kadlovec (31), Knotek (28), Kolar (103), Kostohris (91), Kotaska (149), Kouba (126), Koutnik (20), Kovarik (11), Kozel (21), Krile (170), Lala (21), Listopad (18), Loegering (7), Lovcik (398), Malinovsky (9), Maresh (156), Meduna (40), Metzger (13), Nilson (12), Novacek (61), Novak (453), Novotny (89), Nymon (12), Omdahl (19), Ondracek (31), Pastorek (55), Patocka (61), Paur (51), Pavek (158), Pengilly (17), Peterka (107), Petrick (34), Praska (205), Roth (258), Rukavicka (7), Rumreich (117), Ruzek (8), Sefcik (22), Seidl (81), Schanilec (103), Schnedar (67), Senecal (24), Sevigny (11), Sobolik (153), Svoboda (12), Swartz (150), Turek (35), Ullman (31), Van Camp (5), Vavrik (37), Vavrosky (92), Vislisel (30), Volek (6), Votava (92), Wavrik (74), Wylie (15), Zdenek (18), Zeimetz (6), Zidon (45), Zikmund (96).

As this book was printed over thirty years ago, hardcover copies are no longer available for sale.

Because I still receive requests for it, I've obtained permission from the Pisek Centenial Book Committee to provide the book in electronic form, on CD. The book has been scanned and converted to searchable PDF format. This means you can search for a particular name or word, and see the results instantly.

The CD also includes a searchable PDF of the booklet Painting by Alfons Mucha Graces Pisek N Dak Church by Faith Chyle Knutson.

Contact me for purchasing information.


Here are videos of Pisek taken in the summer of 1997:


Surviving the Thirties is a memoir by A.J. Cervenka, documenting life in Pisek from about 1910 to 1940. The Cervenkas co-owned the Pisek General store with the Lovciks during this period.


In June of 1932, Viola Arness Dixon submitted her thesis Survey of Pisek, N. D. towards a Masters Degree in Community Activities at the North Dakota Agricultural College (now North Dakota State University). Miss Dixon wasn't afraid to tell it like she saw it. In this excerpt, she covers the history, customs and community life of the town, sketches of interesting people, and the future of Pisek.


home