Near Gills Pier in Leelanau County, Michigan — The American Midwest (Great Lakes)
St. Wenceslaus Church and Cemetery
circa 1994
1. St. Wenceslaus Church and Cemetery Marker
Inscription.
St. Wenceslaus Church and Cemetery In the 1860s and 1870s settlers from Bohemia (now part of Czechoslovakia) came to this area and worked at the Leland Lake Superior Iron Foundry and the Gill sawmill. Catholics attended mass at the Holy Trinity Church in Leland until the church burned in 1880. In 1890 the first St. Wenceslaus Church was built and the cemetery established. Ornate metal grave markers reflect the Bohemian heritage, as do the names Bourda, Houdek, Hula, Jelinek, Kalchick, Kirt, Kolarik, Korson, Kovarik, Maresh, Novotny, Reicha and Sedlacek which appear in the cemetery. The church membership doubled by 1908. In 1914 volunteers hauled bricks and other materials to this site and built the present church. This Late Gothic Revival church was completed during that year. Bureau of History, Michigan Department of State Registered Local Site No. 1671 Property of the State of Michigan 1990 . This historical marker was erected in 1990 by Bureau of History, Michigan Department of State. It is Near Gills Pier in Leelanau County Michigan
St. Wenceslaus Church and Cemetery
In the 1860s and 1870s settlers from Bohemia (now part of Czechoslovakia) came to this area and worked at the Leland Lake Superior Iron Foundry and the Gill sawmill. Catholics attended mass at the Holy Trinity Church in Leland until the church burned in 1880. In 1890 the first St. Wenceslaus Church was built and the cemetery established. Ornate metal grave markers reflect the Bohemian heritage, as do the names Bourda, Houdek, Hula, Jelinek, Kalchick, Kirt, Kolarik, Korson, Kovarik, Maresh, Novotny, Reicha and Sedlacek which appear in the cemetery. The church membership doubled by 1908. In 1914 volunteers hauled bricks and other materials to this site and built the present church. This Late Gothic Revival church was completed during that year.
Bureau of History, Michigan Department of State
Registered Local Site No. 1671
Property of the State of Michigan 1990
Erected 1990 by Bureau of History, Michigan Department of State. (Marker Number 1671.)
Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: Churches & Religion
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. In addition, it is included in the Michigan Historical Commission series list. A significant historical year for this entry is 1880.
Location. 45° 4.148′ N, 85° 40.464′ W. Marker is near Gills Pier, Michigan, in Leelanau County. Marker is at the intersection of East Kolarik Road (County Route 637) and North Jelinek Road, on the right when traveling east on East Kolarik Road. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 8500, Suttons Bay MI 49682, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Credits. This page was last revised on November 15, 2017. It was originally submitted on November 14, 2014, by Thomas A. Thomas of Brielle, New Jersey. This page has been viewed 506 times since then and 25 times this year. Photo1. submitted on November 14, 2014, by Thomas A. Thomas of Brielle, New Jersey. • Al Wolf was the editor who published this page.
Editor’s want-list for this marker. Full view photos. Any other links? • Can you help?