In 1802, Spain returned most of the land to France. In 1803, most of the land for modern day Kansas was acquired by the United States from France as part of the 828,000 square mileLouisiana Purchase for 2.83 cents per acre. In 1854, the Kansas Territory was organized, then in 1861 Kansas became the 34th U.S. state. In 1855, Marion County was established within the Kansas Territory, which included the land for modern day Pilsen. Pilsen was founded in 1874 and named to honor the city of Plzeň of Bohemia by Bohemian immigrants. The area was settled in the 1870s and 1880s by 46 Bohemian families of Czech and German descent who purchased their land from the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway. In 1888, the first Catholic church was built. It was a two-story frame building; the upper floor was the church and the lower floor was the rectory. The building was converted into a convent after the second church was built. Up until about 1902, the community was centered around a General Store that was located approximately south of the current Pilsen site.
20th century
After the General Store closed in 1902, Mr and Mrs Cerny built a new two-story store at the current Pilsen site, and continued to operate it until 1944, then later it was torn down in 1970. The current St. John Nepomucene Catholic church as built in 1914-1915. Train carloads of brick were ordered from Kansas City then delivered to the closest station in Lincolnville. The pile of bricks in Pilsen was so large that people often joked "how many churches are you going to build?" The church cost approximately $30,000, but the cost would have been higher if it had not been for the local volunteer labor. In 1924, an eleven-room rectory was built. In the early 1940s, Emil Kapaun was pastor at the church and assisted Father Sklenar. A post office existed in Pilsen from March 17, 1917 to March 8, 1957.
21st century
On June 3, 2001, volunteers dedicated a statue honoring Chaplain Emil Kapaun at St. John Nepomucene Church. In 2010, the Keystone-Cushing Pipeline was constructed near Pilsen, north to south through Marion County, with much controversy over road damage, tax exemption, and environmental concerns.
Geography
Pilsen is located at , approximately north of Marion.
Area events
, First Sunday in June
, November
Area attractions
St John Nepomucene Catholic Church. The highlight of the small community of Pilsen is St John Nepomucene Catholic Church. The cornerstone was laid in 1914 by Father John Sklenar, the first parish priest. The church can be seen for miles around the flat farming community of Pilsen. The church itself is 120 feet tall, topped by a silver-colored neo-Gothic dome. St John Nepomucene, for whom the church was named is the patron saint of Bohemia and Christian martyr of the 14th Century.
