Bohemian immigrant John Kocourek settled in Hazen in 1890 and had a huge impact in the development of the town and region. As a real estate land agent, Kocourek promoted Czech and Slovak settlement in Prairie County. Considered “one of the most successful businessmen of the state” at the turn of the century, Kocourek opened a hardware store that operated for a century under the name Kocourek and Son. For decades he was a force in the local business community, directing the local bank, promoting regional agricultural interests, and helping secure the route of U.S. Highway 70 through Hazen. Kocourek’s 1906 brick store building, typical of the twentieth-century commercial style, is a landmark in Hazen that recalls stories of immigration, railroads, rice, and regional commerce.