As we headed east for home, I was determined to find something interesting each day on the road to alleviate the inherent boredom of hundreds of miles of I-70. One of these was Wilson KS which has been dubbed the Czech Capital of Kansas. It was established in 1871 near a Kansas Pacific Railway station, and one of its first settlers was Francis J Swehla who arrived in 1874 and used the Czech-language newspapers across the US to spread word of a Czech settlement offering cheap land, rich soil, access to water, and building stone (note no mention of abundant wood.) Bohemians soon flocked to Wilson, anxious for an opportunity to maintain their Old World culture in their new homeland.

Because of a lack of wood in the area, the Bohemian settlers often lived in dugouts or huts made from bricks of sod until they could build their homes from the readily available limestone. Many of these original limestone buildings are still intact.

Wilson is now the location of the World’s Largest Hand-Painted Czech Egg. Beginning in 2003, efforts began with local artists to build the 20-foot-tall and 15 foot wide fiberglass egg. Fundraising took several years, including funds from the Czech Republic embassy. A description of the meaning of the symbols and designs on the egg is found in the picture below the egg.

The town has carried this theme further with much smaller eggs peppered around the town. A delightful stop for us that made my day!