Zabcikville ( ) is an

unincorporated community An unincorporated area is a region that is not governed by a local municipal corporation. Widespread unincorporated communities and areas are a distinguishing feature of the United States and Canada. Most other countries of the world either have ...

in eastern Bell County,

Texas Texas (, ; Spanish language, Spanish: ''Texas'', ''Tejas'') is a state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. At 268,596 square miles (695,662 km2), and with more than 29.1 million residents in 2 ...

, United States, with a population of approximately 40 according to a 1990 estimate.Zabcikville at Texas Escapes
/ref> It is located within the Killeen-Temple-Fort Hood metropolitan area.

History

The town is named for the Zabcik (Žabčik) family, immigrants from Ratiboř in the

Zlín Region Zlín Region ( cs, Zlínský kraj; , ) is an administrative unit ( cs, kraj) of the Czech Republic, located in the south-eastern part of the historical region of Moravia. It is named after its capital Zlín. Together with the Olomouc Region it fo ...

Moravia Moravia ( , also , ; cs, Morava ; german: link=yes, Mähren ; pl, Morawy ; szl, Morawa; la, Moravia) is a historical region in the east of the Czech Republic and one of three historical Czech lands, with Bohemia and Czech Silesia. The me ...

Czech Republic The Czech Republic, or simply Czechia, is a landlocked country in Central Europe. Historically known as Bohemia, it is bordered by Austria to the south, Germany to the west, Poland to the northeast, and Slovakia to the southeast. The ...

. When the Zabciks immigrated to Texas in 1855, Ratiboř was part of the

Austrian Empire The Austrian Empire (german: link=no, Kaiserthum Oesterreich, modern spelling , ) was a Central-Eastern European multinational great power from 1804 to 1867, created by proclamation out of the realms of the Habsburgs. During its existence, ...

. It was founded by

Czechs The Czechs ( cs, Češi, ; singular Czech, masculine: ''Čech'' , singular feminine: ''Češka'' ), or the Czech people (), are a West Slavic ethnic group and a nation native to the Czech Republic in Central Europe, who share a common ancestry, c ...

in the late 19th century and was originally named Marekville after storeowners surnamed Marek and their family. The Zabcik family (one of them named John) married into the Marek family and handed their store over to them. As a result, its name was changed to Zabcikville. It had a population of 60 in 1940 and had three businesses. It went up to 80 residents and gained another business in 1949 but declined throughout the rest of the century. Its population was 38 from 1990 through 2000. The community's local store, with the Zabcikville sign on it, was still in operation at that time. The community's sign stands above a

gas station A filling station, also known as a gas station () or petrol station (), is a facility that sells fuel and engine lubricants for motor vehicles. The most common fuels sold in the 2010s were gasoline (or petrol) and diesel fuel. Gasoline ...

in the community. Zabcikville is known for Green's Sausage House, which serves as a restaurant and a store for residents and people passing through. Zabcikville is also known for D&M Community Grain L.L.C., which serves as a buyer of commodities for the local farmers. It is one of the two remaining buildings in the community and can reach a population of 80 on any given Sunday.

Geography

Zabcikville is located at the intersection of

Texas State Highway 53 State Highway 53 (SH 53) is a Texas state highway that runs from Temple to Rosebud. History SH 53 was designated on August 21, 1923 as a route from Dickens to Brownfield, replacing a portion of SH 18. This route was cancelled on March 19, 1930 ...

and Farm to Market Roads 437 and 2269 on Possum Creek, east-southeast of

Temple A temple (from the Latin ) is a building reserved for spiritual rituals and activities such as prayer and sacrifice. Religions which erect temples include Christianity (whose temples are typically called churches), Hinduism (whose temples ...

in eastern Bell County. It is also located east of Belton.

Education

Today, Zabcikville is served by the

Rogers Independent School District Rogers Independent School District is a public school district based in Rogers, Texas ( USA). Located in Bell County, a small portion of the district extends into Milam County. In 2009, the school district was rated "academically acceptable" by ...

References

{{authority control Czech communities in the United States Unincorporated communities in Texas Unincorporated communities in Bell County, Texas