Programs will help history come alive during Sesquicentennial

Patrick Fisher, Staff Writer

Parts of New Prague’s history will come alive at different times during the community’s Sesquicentennial Celebration, through tours and re-creations.

On Thursday, July 13, the Historic Town Shopping Event, from 4-8 p.m. will allow people to find out about some of the history of New Prague’s early shopkeepers. Throughout the community, retailers will pay tribute to the pioneering proprietors that ran the town’s first stores.

In memory of them, modern storeowners will be dressed in period clothing. During the event, people will be relating the history of New Prague’s early stores. They will tell stories about their parents who were merchants or what it was like growing up above the different shops.

Like any town, many of New Prague’s commercial buildings have had different uses over the years. Among the shops from the community’s past have been department stores, grocery stores and an ice cream shop.

Trolley Tour

On Saturday, July 15, different historical landmarks of New Prague will be featured during the Trolley Tours. At 10:40 a.m., the first of six 40-minute rides on an old-fashioned trolley will depart from Memorial Park.

Jill Schoen of New Prague Community Education, who is a member of the committee helping organize the celebration, said the trolley will stop at and pass by buildings and sites that have significance in New Prague’s history.

Greg Tikalsky will narrate the tours. He and his wife, Tammi, have researched the event, inspired by tours they have taken in different cities.

We thought it would be a great way to learn about the city’s history