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Hynek's older brother, Joseph, was a priest and the first Dostal to arrive in America
around 1896. Hynek Dostal came to America in 1898 to join his brother in
Spillville, Iowa. Spillville is located in the northeastern corner of the state
of Iowa. Nearby, you'll find the towns of Ft. Atkinson, Calmar,
Decorah, Protivin and Little Turkey.Spillville hadn't been a town for very long when the Dostals arrived. In 1849, a Bavarian immigrant, Joseph Spielman, settled on a piece of land near the Little Turkey river. He built a gristmill and subsequently added a sawmill. The small community obtained the name Spielville, which was later Americanized to Spillville. For several years, Spielman had few neighbors. But by 1854, several German, Swiss and about twenty Czech families had moved to the area. From that time on, Spillville would remain a predominately Czech community. The first Czech families to arrive in Spillville did so purely by chance. Most were headed to Cleveland, but by the time they arrived, the land in that area was occupied. Therefore, many headed to Winneshiek County where it was still available. Throughout the 1860s, the development of Spillville continued. A hotel, brewery and two churches were built. St. Wenceslaus currently is the oldest standing Czech church in the United States. By 1870, Spillville had a population of 336. But by the 1880s, the population had stopped increasing. Today's population is about the same as a century ago. The 1990 census claimed 387 residents of Spillville. 
Spillville remains a quiet town that still has much of its Czech
character. In the town center, there is a bandstand dedicated to war veterans.
Just on the outskirts of town, you'll find the Inwood ballroom, a frequent stop
for many musicians during the big band days.
A mural depicts the town as it appeared in 1893. The horses have been replaced by cars, and the wooden
sidewalks have given way to concrete. Still, many of the original buildings
stand, and not much has changed in the century since the Dostal family arrived. |