Kossuthville – Florida

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Kossuthville, or “K-ville” as the locals have nicknamed it, in Florida, is one of a handful of Kossuthville’s throughout the USA. This particular town came into existence when Hungarians from the Northeast of the US bought a plot of land in Polk County, Florida.

In the 1920s, these Hungarian immigrants were sold on the idea of a Floridian paradise. East of Lakeland, they settled in the rural, inland region of the state. Joseph Nemeth was the founder of this community. Originally, residents worked mainly in agriculture, farming various vegetables along with sugar cane.

The town was home to a restaurant by the name of the “Hungarian Inn”, but it has since been destroyed and a playground was built in its place. The original founders of the community, Joseph Nemeth and his family, had big plans for the town, though most of them were not brought to fruition during his lifetime. Not much is left to evidence the Hungarian roots of the town, but the name still proudly bears tribute to its ancestry.

Vidor- Texas

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Located in southeastern Texas, a little over an hour east of Houston, you will encounter Vidor, Texas. The town received its name from the cofounder of the Miller-Vidor Lumber timber Company which was based in this town.

Charles Shelton Vidor, a native of Galveston, Texas, was the son of Karoly (Charles) Vidor who was born in Budapest, Hungary. Karoly Vidor came to the USA as a refugee of the Hungarian Revolution of 1848. At 19 years old, he first arrived in New York City, where he worked for a time as a reporter for the New York Herald. He then moved on, settling in Galveston around 1855. Here Vidor became one of the first cotton factors, establishing the Wolston, Wells & Vidor company which helped develop Galveston into the flourishing city it became.

Térkép

Vidor served throughout the American Civil War in Hood’s Brigade as the captain of Company L of the First Texas Regiment. Karoly Vidor was father to the aforementioned Charles Vidor—namesake of Vidor, Texas—and grandfather to King Vidor, the famed director, film producer, and screenwriter. Karoly Vidor left a significant mark on the US, despite only arriving as an immigrant.