Krok: Much More Than "A Crock!"

This cover was postmarked at the 3rd Krok post office in November 1898 just after Anton Swagel became postmaster.

Perusing an hors d’oeuvres table a few years ago, the conversation of two older men caught my attention. One was telling the other how he and his wife had sold the family farm, homesteaded by his great-grandpa well before 1900. As it turned out, the fellow was the much younger son of older parents. His father was also the younger son and, at the time, it was customary for the youngest son to inherit the farm, providing for his parents in their advancing years.

The gentleman continued saying he and his wife went through everything, cleaning out and clearing out what was stuffed in the attic during the last 100 years. They came across the most surprising things in the attic that because. after all, who has time to clean an attic full of junk when there is a farm to run?

Included  in the "junk" were old letters. As the conversation developed, chatter around the table faded as others began listening to an increasingly entertaining story. When he mentioned Krok, my ears really perked up. He was talking about Kewaunee County. The fellow’s grandparents were courting when the letters were written. She lived with her parents on the farm in Krok while her sweetheart had gone to find work in the big city – Milwaukee. His letters were addressed to her at “Krok, Kewaunee County, Wisconsin.” Letters were addressed to him at Harnishfeger Foundry, rather than his rooming house. He wasn’t in management; he was a laborer who received mail at the plant.

Kewaunee County postal history tells us there are three places named Krok and had I stopped to think, I could have answered the question that I put to him. I asked about the dates of the postmarks, prompting him to ask why I wanted to know. My response was that because there were three post offices named Krok, the post mark indicated the specific office. He didn’t miss a beat when he asked if I was telling him Kewaunee County was nothing but a crock! He had somewhat of an audience by then and it erupted with peals of laughter. He had been waiting to use the one-liner and my question was ripe. Krok and crock are not synonymous!

Krok defines an area in Kewaunee County today, but beyond a few miles few know it. It has lasted longer than Zavis, Rushford and Royal Creek, but just as in those places corn has replaced the halls, cheese factories, the saloons, mills or whatever might have been there. If corn could tell the stories in their roots, there would be some good ones. The gentleman at that hors d’ouerves table represents generations of Krok Bohemians who enjoyed socializing, telling stories while finding pleasure in a good drink and good food. He was not drinking a Bohemian pilsner or enjoying kolaches or knee-caps that night, but it was good just the same. And, incidentally, it was the last of the three Kroks that carried the post between his grandparents.

Krok #1

When Kewaunee was incorporated as a village in April 1873, the West Kewaunee of today was named Krok, a name given by Judge Woyta Stransky after his native home in Bohemia. Records indicate that the name Krok was abandoned in April 1881 when West Kewaunee came into being.

Stransky had served as sheriff and was postmaster when the first Krok post office opened on December 21, 1874. Stransky applied for the office which was located on the northeast side of the Kewaunee River in Section 14 of Town 23N, Ranger 24E. Located at Stransky’s mill, that first Krok post office closed four years later in November 1878.

Krok #2, 2007

After a six year hiatus, Krok post office reopened in May 1884, but this time it was in the northeast corner of Section 24, Town 23N, Range 23E. The Town of Montpelier. Joseph Shimonek (or Shimanek) took charge of the new office which was just about 2 miles east of Ellisville on what is now County Highway F. Why Shimonek’s office was only in business for two weeks before being closed is quite unusual and remains a mystery. Four years later, in April 1888, Krok post office was again back in business, back in West Kewaunee but this time in Section 3. Joseph J. Walecka was the postmaster at the place sometimes called Walecka’s Corner. Prokop J. Walecka followed him. Anton Swagel was Krok’s last postmaster, operating from his store, saloon and hotel.

Swagel's, Krok #3, just after 1900

Swagel's Krok 3 post office was discontinued on November 30, 1904 with the coming of Rural Free Delivery in Kewaunee County. Early post offices moved around frequently, as was the case with Krok. Some offices were surprisingly close to another office. Zavis opened in 1877. It was a mile and a half east of Krok 3, but Zavis closed in 1879, five years before Krok 2 came into being. There were needs to be served.

Postmaster Swagel profited far more than his predecessors in terms of postal remuneration. His 1901 compensation of $92.85 more than doubled his pay for any other year. However, the post office brought business to his store and saloon and that’s where his money was made.

Many of the pre-RFD postmasters were against such a service. RFD was an economic issue as home delivery brought more than personal letters. It brought current newspapers and magazines. One could get and digest the news at home without stopping at the saloon. If mail wasn’t picked up, fewer drinks were sold. Catalogues such as Sear-Roebuck and Montgomery Ward brought wants beyond the stock in rural stores, wants which could be delivered. It wasn’t only RFD that spurned the demise of postal communities though. Autos were making inroads and Algoma and Kewaunee, which already had telephone service, were seeing electricity. Time was marching on.

Had Krok survived the Advent of RFD, more than likely its postmark would be as popular as Christmas, Michigan, Zip Code 49862, Winter, Wisconsin 54896 and Hell, Michigan 48169. The U.S. has other spots such as Loveland, Colorado 80538 remembered only at holidays. For an elderly man, he has a real knee-slapper in his stories of growing up in a place that was nothing but a “Krok.”

Sources: Photos are from the blogger's collection; stories from an unidentified gentleman; postal information from Here Comes the Mail, Post Offices of Kewaunee County, c. 2010.