Nick and Demi Adam. (Photo by Wikipedia/William Brockshmidt, Pubic domain) THE ARISTON CAFE: OLDEST RESTAURANT ON ROUTE 66 by Steve Frangos Published in The National Herald, March 31, 2019 ------------------------------ I am excited that  The National Herald  has given Hellenic Genealogy Geek the right to reprint articles that may be of interest to our group.  ------------------------------ The Ariston Café, now located in Litchfield, Illinois, is credited as being the longest operating restaurant along the entire stretch of historic U.S. Route 66.  As such it is yet another among the uncounted host of Greek-owned restaurants that have and continue to play a significant role in the communities in which they are found. Unintentionally, this very same café, is also an example of what the future of other Greek-owned restaurants in North America are likely to one day experience. In 1924, Pete Adam, a Greek immigrant, founded the Ari...

THE HISTORY OF EARLY GREEK IMMIGRANTS IN ILLINOIS EXTENDS BEYOND CHICAGO Published in The National Herald, May 19, 2013 ------------------------------ I am excited that  The National Herald  has given Hellenic Genealogy Geek the right to reprint articles that may be of interest to our group.  ------------------------------ CHICAGO- The experiences of Greek immigrants and their families in rural Illinois have yet to see inclusion in the historical accounts of ethnic groups in the state. The history of Illinois Greeks is presented as an urban experience focusing almost exclusively upon Chicago.  Demographically, there can be no question that the greatest concentration of Greek immigrants live (and have always lived) within Chicago and the immediately adjacent to the city. Still, largely unrecorded, except in Greek sources, are the experiences of Greek immigrants in the most rural areas of Illinois. From the 1880s until the 1920s Greek ...

Greek Star, Chicago, Illinois  --  April 29, 1904 Pan-Hellenic Union Elects New Officers p. 3- The Pan-Hellenic Union, which for many years has functioned like a clock, and which is known for its valuable services to members and to the community, held its election last week, and the following officers were chosen: Eustathios Karavelis, president; Messrs. Christ Vlachandreas and Nicholas P. Stathacos, executive committee; Messrs. Geo. Koutumanos, Geo. Kyriakopoulos, Geo. Chicknias, and Geo. Demetrakopoulos , members of the board. Source:   http://flps.newberry.org/article/5422062_4_0100/

Greek Star  --  April 22, 1904 Greek Abducts His Sweetheart Michael Kollires, a robust, handsome Greek, is in love, and he does not give a whoop about social or political rules and laws. Because his sweetheart is young, and her parents object to matrimony, the young swain went to 1609 Wabash Avenue (Chicago, Illinois), the residence of his beloved, and lifting her up like a baby dashed out of the house to a waiting carriage, and off he went with his heart's desire, whistling hymns to his Grecian gods, who were on his side in the hour of need. Of course such love-comedy may be all right in his native land, where his Grecian gods have their domain and can assist their demi-god swains to carry off pretty damsels, but America is not ruled by these Olympian deities, who also at intervals participated in similar escapades. The indignant Greek was arrested, and Margarita Mallory, a blue-eyed and golden-haired beauty, was taken away from young Michael's strong and lov...

Greek Star  --  August 19, 1904 The Society of Tripolitans The native sons of historic Tripolis believe in organization as the only means of promoting their interests here in their adopted country and the interests of the country which they left behind. After the announcement made last week all the Tripolitans of Chicago assembled and founded the Society of the Tripolitans. The following officers were elected: Attorney Andrew J. Vlachos, president; Geo. Kapantaes, vice-president; Al Katsaounes, general secretary; and Ch. Politopoulos and Th. Loukaites, treasurers. The executive board; Pericles Galanopoulos, Elias Patrinakis, and Dr. Geo. Papageorge. Other officers are B. Spyropoulos, G. Tsarouchas, B. Constantakis, S. Nicopoulos, K. Karydes and Elias Alexiou. The Star, knowing all the officers elected by the newly-founded society, unhesitatingly predicts the progress and success of the organization. Source:  http://flps.newberry.org/article/5422062_4_00...

Greek Star  --  August 26, 1904 General Gathering of Greek Businessmen of Chicago to Protect Their Business and the Greek Name - Consul General Interested The meeting of Greek businessmen last Sunday packed the Greek Orthodox church. The object of the meeting was to find ways and means to protect their business and their racial prestige against attacks by the Chicago press arising from the conduct of 320 Greeks who accepted jobs as strike-breakers. Chicago newspapers have raised a hue and cry against Greeks in general, not taking into consideration the facts that by so doing they injure the business of Greeks who are not engaged in strike-breaking, and that they are also throwing mud at a nation friendly to this Republic. Immediately after the ceremony of the mass, in which over 2,000 took part, the Reverend C. Georgiadis spoke. In a fatherly but businesslike address he brought out what the duties of the Greek businessmen of Chicago are toward those unwise Gre...

THE NEWLY ELECTED OFFICERS OF THE GREEK COMMUNITY IN CHICAGO Published in The Greek Star  March 4, 1904 The very much disputed administration of the Greek Community in Chicago is a thing of the past since the official election of last Sunday. As Judge Brentano had ordered, the rival factions filed affidavits of their candidacy, and the elections took place under the auspices of a mixed committee, Greek and American, appointed by the Court. The newly-elected officials who will administer the affairs of the community are as follows: Dr. Gregory Papaeliou, president; St. Spyrakis, vice-president; Chr. Ladas, treasurer; Dem. Papantoniou, secretary. The members of the Council are B. Georgacopoulos, Geo. Koteopoulos, Dem. Karambelas, B. Petropoulos, Athanasius Munjuris, Kyriakos Demas, Geo. Tsikhias, Const. Stavrakos, Dem. Chiambas, Philip Kekos, and Nicholas Kokinis. The management of the Star wishes success to the newly-elected officials and hopes that the presti...

THE HEROIC GREEKS OF CHICAGO DURING THE BALKAN WARS OF 1912-13 By Stavros T. Stavridis Published in The National Herald, April 1, 2017  ------------------------------ I am excited to announce that  The National Herald  has given Hellenic Genealogy Geek the right to reprint articles that may be of interest to our group.  ------------------------------ Greek-Americans showed their patriotism to fight for their homeland against the Ottoman Empire during the Balkan Wars 1912-13. They would have followed the events of the Balkans through the pages of GreekAmerican newspapers press such as Athena, Loxias and the Greek Star published in Chicago which reported on the war clouds gathering in a region described as “the powder keg of Europe.” Educated Greeks who spoke English probably kept up-to-date on Balkan affairs through the pages of both American and GreekAmerican newspapers. This article will not discuss the actual Balkan conflict b...

KALI NIKTA, SOCRATES (Good Night, Socrates) "Kali Nikta, Socrates" ("Goodnight, Socrates") by Maria Moraites and Stewart Hagmann is a story-documentary film about the destruction of a small Greek community in Chicago to make way for urban renewal. As the film was being shot, the neighborhood was being razed to make space for the Kennedy Expressway and the new campus of the University of Illinois at Chicago. It captures the real-life destruction of buildings and culture as seen through the eyes of a ten-year-old boy of Greek descent. Northwestern University theatre students Stuart Hagmann and Maria Moraites made the film with a grant from the North Shore Film Society. It went on to win the Golden Lion, or first prize, at the 1962 Venice International Film Festival. Apparently Jean Renoir "liked the film very much," while John Houseman found the narration "egregious." We'll let you judge for yourself! Original: 16mm., B&W...

Dissertation by Ann Flesor Beck GREEK IMMIGRATION TO, AND SETTLEMENT IN, CENTRAL ILLINOIS 1880-1930 Submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Educational Policy Studies in the Graduate College of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 2014  "This dissertation is a micro-history of Greek immigrants to central Illinois between 1880 and 1930. The study focuses specifically on those Greek immigrants who were involved in the confectionery trade, opening candy stores (often accompanied by soda fountains and restaurants) in the small towns and cities of rural Illinois. The study draws upon, as its primary case study, the life and experiences of my own grandfather, Constantin “Gus” Flesor, a Greek immigrant who settled in Tuscola, Illinois in 1901 and owned a candy store/soda fountain business there for 75 years. In all, this dissertation tells the stories of more than 160 such Greek immigrant confectioners in more tha...

The book THE ENTREPRENEURIAL SPIRIT OF THE GREEK IMMIGRANT IN CHICAGO, ILLINOIS:  1900-1930, author Alexander Rassogianis, was published in 2015. Listed below you will find the 75 Greek immigrant names mentioned in the chapters of this book. From the back cover: Greek immigrants came to Chicago in droves in the early 1900s, and most of them made immediate contributions to the city. Greek men grew up learning that they'd need to own and operate their own businesses to be successful. As a result, most of them were tough, individualistic and hard working. The fact that they were raised in poor and remote mountain villages, where mere survival was considered an accomplishment, contributed to their character, personality, and individualism. When a shop owner was asked why he was successful, he replied, “Just hard work-that's all. Nobody can move you, no matter how strong they are.” He was among the Greeks who worked and struggled to open up their own businesses...

Obituary for Chris Tomaras 1937-2015 IMMIGRANT BECAME CHICAGO GYROS PIONEER by Graydon Megan Published Sunday, November 1, 2015 in the Chicago Tribune  ---------- Chris Tomaras was a poor Greek immigrant who founded Kronos Foods, which became a leader in supplying equipment and ingredients for the now-ubiquitous gyros sandwich. "He had a lot of failures along the way, went bankrupt many times," said longtime friend Tom Sotos. "He just kept fighting. His drive and motivation were just unmatched. There was no chance he wasn't going to succeed." Tomaras established the PanHellenic Scholarship Foundation to provide college scholarships to students of Greek heritage. "He wanted people to expand their intellectual horizons," Sotos said. . . . . Tomaras was born in Piraeus, Greece. He was 8 during the Greek Civil War when his mother was killed by stray gunfire. Tomaras grew up near Athens and studied for a time at what is now At...