Tokai - History

Tokai was originally an area located just outside what was considered the Nitra community. Named after the Tokaj region of Hungary, renowned for its wine production, Tokai's establishment can be traced back to two brothers, Jacob Istvanko and his younger brother Paul, who arrived during the second wave of settlers in the Budapest area after Nitra was established as a community.

Over time, the Istvanko brothers desired a larger parcel of land where they could maintain independence from their Hungarian neighbors. This area, comprising approximately 1,100 acres, became their focus. While they were not opposed to collaboration with the Hungarian community, they valued their autonomy, along with that of their fellow Slovaks.

As a result, the Istvanko brothers settled further away from the center of Nitra, founding the area known as Tokai. Located outside the Nitra community, Tokai began where Ridge Road and Sandtown Road (now Old Ridgeway and Estavanko Loop Roads) intersected at the top of the hill, extending down to near the present location of Macedonia Church. Here, the brothers were able to purchase sizable plots of land and establish their own farms.

Jacob Istvanko chose a property on what was then called Sandtown Road, situated at what is now 1011 Estavanko Loop Road. His younger brother resided further down the same road, in what is now a wooded area on the same side. Other families, such as William Wilson and Lee Pollard and their families, also inhabited this area, along with those renting property from Wilson nearby.