Atlanta Greeks: An Early History

By 1890, the first Greek immigrants to Atlanta had settled into an area still widely populated by Confederate veterans. In a city without the large immigrant presence common in the nation's major urban areas, the Greeks were initially received as undesirable visitors by the state's and city's leaders. While the Greek Orthodox Church of Atlanta endured financial hardship, it continued to aid funerals, hospitals and orphanages. These Greeks moved from the city's streets as fruit vendors into more established businesses. Christ Gyfteas's fruit stand at the corner of Broad and Marietta became the California Fruit Company. By 1911, 40 percent of Greeks were proprietors or partners in a variety of businesses like cafes, restaurants, soda fountains and groceries. Author Stephen Georgeson explores the Greek immigrants' experiences in their first three decades in Atlanta."