The Story of Arpadhon, Hungarian Settlement, Louisiana - 1896 - 2006
by Royanne Kropog

Printed by Moran Printing and Emprint of Baton Rouge, LA

ISBN 978-1-4276-3502-1

Sponsored by the Hungarian Settlement Historical Society

How did they do it?

At the turn of the century, when our country was still young, Hungarians came to south Louisiana in search of a better life for themselves and their families. Land was purchased and cleared by hand. Through adversity and hardship, and a cash crop called strawberries, they carved out an existence and thrived. The result is Hungarian Settlement -- the largest rural Hungarian Settlement in the United States today.

This is not a history of individual Hungarian families, but instead, is a true story of how the Hungarian families lived, worked, worshiped, and entertained themselves. It is viewed through the eyes of the residents and decendents of the early settlers. Many interviews provided the information, material, and the photos for this work. How they attended Hungarian weddings, how they worked the strawberry fields, how they preserved foods without electricity - including hog butchering, how they preserved the Harvest Dance in its original form which lures many visitors from far and near on the first Saturday evening of each October, and how their religion held them together are told with insight and warmth. Contains: 260 pages, 75+ photos - - - Printed in English

About the author:

Royanne Kropog, a native of Livingston, Louisiana, has lived near Springfield, Louisiana, with her husband Alex Kropog, for the past 28 years. She graduated from Southeastern Louisiana University in Hammond, Louisiana. She retired as an educator having taught math at Kenilworth Junior High School in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. She is active in the Hungarian Settlement Historical Society where she is known as its historian and is the "Temporary" Curator of the proposed Hungarian Settlement Historical Museum in Albany, LA. In her spare time, she loves to read and to play her musical instuments: dulcimers, mandolin, violin, bowed psaltery and bouzouki.