Bohemia, Decade by Decade
The 1920s: Industry & Independence
A town of two trades
While the rest of America roared with jazz, Bohemia hummed with the sound of industry. The 1920s saw the village solidify its reputation as a hub of skilled craftsmanship, defined by two major trades: tobacco and pearl buttons.
1923
The Pearl Button Boom
Alongside cigar making, a new industry arrived that changed the landscape of the town. In 1923, George Math and Joseph Hrouda established a successful pearl button factory on Karshick Street, bringing their specialized Old World skills to Long Island. The factory became instantly recognizable by the massive, blindingly white piles of imported oyster, mussel, and clam shells stacked outside, waiting to be processed.
Button making (knoflíkářství) was a traditional trade brought over directly from Žirovnice in the Old Country. Craftsmen drilled, dyed, and polished buttons for the high-fashion garment industry in New York City. The women and children of the village often worked from home, sewing the finished buttons onto display cards. It was dusty, loud work, but it provided steady, reliable income for dozens of local families.
July 4, 1920
The WWI Memorial
The decade began with a somber moment of unity. The town gathered at the intersection of Church Street and Smithtown Avenue to officially dedicate its first war memorial. The monument was funded entirely by local community donations.
The stone honored the 20 men from the village — many of them first-generation sons of the original Czech immigrants — who had served their new country in the Great War, including the seven who made the ultimate sacrifice. This monument became the literal and spiritual center of the town, serving as the solemn backdrop for Decoration Day (Memorial Day) parades for generations.
1926
The General Cigar Strike
The cigar industry, while profitable, was volatile. In 1926, a major labor strike broke out at the General Cigar Company (which had gradually absorbed many of the smaller, independent local factories). Workers walked out en masse to protest deep wage cuts and the increasing use of mechanization that threatened their skilled trade.
This labor dispute marked the beginning of the end for the Bohemia “hand-rolled” era. While the local industry limped along for another decade, the 1920s were the undeniable turning point where corporate machines began to permanently replace the village’s master craftsmen.
1920–1933
Prohibition & The “Roaring” Life
Bohemia was not immune to the “Dry Laws” of the 1920s. With Prohibition in full swing, the South Shore of Long Island became a smuggler’s paradise. While Bohemia was positioned inland, its hotels and social halls were widely rumored to be… less than strictly dry, with hard “apple cider” flowing freely.
The CSPS Hall and the Sokol Hall served as the heartbeat of local nightlife. They hosted packed gymnastic meets, masquerade balls, and theatrical performances exclusively in the Czech language. These venues kept the Old World culture vibrant even as the younger generation began to rapidly “Americanize,” creating a unique Bohemia blend of traditional heritage and Roaring Twenties energy.
1925
Commerce Comes to the Avenue
As the population grew, so did the need for local shops. In 1925, Ferdinand Fischer (a pearl button pioneer from Žirovnice) and Joseph Emer opened a popular meat market on Smithtown Avenue that quickly became a village staple.
Meanwhile, general stores like Cervenka’s and Bartik’s flourished, serving not just as places to buy flour, sugar, and nails, but as the “social media” of the day where neighbors gathered daily to trade news and gossip.