Near Temple in Bell County, Texas — The American South (West South Central)

SPJST Lodge No. 47, Hvězda Texasu

SPJST Lodge No. 47, <i>Hvězda Texasu</i> Marker image. Click for full size.

Photographed by James Hulse, December 24, 2025

1. SPJST Lodge No. 47, Hvězda Texasu Marker

Inscription. In January 1903, Frank Motl and J.F. Sefcik led Seaton men in forming an order of the SPJST (Slovanská podporující jednota státu Texas), a Czech benevolent society. Members of Hvězda Texasu, the Texas “Star” Lodge, met in Thomas Mikulastik’s blacksmith shop and the Seaton school before building their first lodge hall in 1906 at this site. They added more land and facilities over the years, including a larger hall. The Star Lodge has supported programs in drama, gymnastics, traditional dance, and choir, as well as the Red Cross, youth groups, and political rallies. It has also hosted community activities, including dances, reunions, meetings, and area agricultural fairs.

Erected 2004 by Texas Historical Commission. (Marker Number 13009.)

Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Fraternal or Sororal Organizations • Immigration. A significant historical month for this entry is January 1903.

Location. 31° 3.677′ N, 97° 13.583′ W. Marker is near Temple, Texas, in Bell County. It is on State Road 53 0.4 miles west of Farm to Market Road 2086, on the left when traveling east. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 10842 TX-53, Temple TX 76501, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is in Central Texas.

It is also in the American South.

Globally, it is in North America,

a Gulf of Mexico state,

the Western Hemisphere,

the Western World,

and the Anglosphere.

Historically, it finds itself in what was once New Spain,

the Republic of Texas,

and one of the Confederate States of America.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 7 miles of this marker, measured as the

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crow flies: Seaton Cemetery (approx. one mile away); Seaton Brethren Church (approx. 1.1 miles away); Zabcikville (approx. 3.7 miles away); Little Flock Cemetery and Primitive Baptist Church (approx. 3.8 miles away); Ocker Brethren Church (approx. 4.4 miles away); Farmers Mutual Protective Association of Texas (RVOS) (approx. 5.2 miles away); Lancaster Cemetery (approx. 5.2 miles away); Thomas Edison Dixon, M.D. (approx. 6.2 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Temple.

Also see . . . The Czech Heritage in Texas: A Historical Overview. Texas State Historical Association (TSHA)

Czechs are a Slavic people from Bohemia, Moravia, and parts of Silesia. Among the first Czechs to arrive in Texas were the writer Carl Postl (Charles Sealsfield), who may have visited the Texas-Louisiana borderland as early as 1823; Frederick Lemský, who arrived in 1836 and played the fife in the Texas band at the battle of San Jacinto; Bohumir Menzl, a Catholic priest who moved to New Braunfels in 1840; and Anthony M. Dignowity. Rev. Josef Arnošt Bergmann, however, can best be described as the "father" of Czech immigration to Texas. Soon after arriving at the Austin County community of Cat Spring, Bergmann began writing to his friends in Europe about the opportunities that awaited future
Photographed by James Hulse, December 24, 2025

2. SPJST Lodge No. 47, Hvězda Texasu Marker
The entrance to the lodge.
immigrants. His letters stimulated Bohemian and Moravian immigration.

(Submitted on December 25, 2025, by James Hulse of Medina, Texas.)

Photographed by James Hulse, December 24, 2025

3. SPJST Lodge No. 47, Hvězda Texasu Marker

The view of the lodge from the street.

Credits. This page was last revised on December 25, 2025. It was originally submitted on December 25, 2025, by James Hulse of Medina, Texas. This page has been viewed 51 times since then and 18 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on December 25, 2025, by James Hulse of Medina, Texas.