Chicago----the world's greatest melting pot.

There are in this city today no fewer than 450,000 Germans, 400,000 Poles; 300,000 Jews; 300,000 Irish; 200,000 Czechoslovaks; 200,000 Italians; 125,000, Swedes; approximately 96,000 Lithuanians, 56,000 Norwegians and 50,000 Greeks, including both the foreign and native born of each nationality.

The Herald and Examiner has asked an outstanding leader of a number of the principal nationalities here to write a series of special articles about the contribution of his own race to the development of Chicago. These articles appear daily in this newspaper.

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By Peter S. Lambros

Publisher and Editor of the Greek Star.

The first Greeks who set foot on Chicago were a few pioneer traders who came to Fort Dearborn from New Orleans by way of the Mississippi and Chicago rivers in the early 40's.

Since the days of Ancient Greece, it had been traditional for her sons to expand and seek adventure in new countries. Greeks built Alexandria in the days of Alexander the Great, and Greeks pioneered in the settlements of Asia Minor, Messina, and other important cities dotting the beautiful Mediterranean coast. Thus it was in the spirit of their ancient traditions that the first Greeks came here seeking new fields of endeavor.

They found that this city afforded them all the advantages of which they had dreamed. Although they were unable to speak the English language, they managed to sell such products as they had brought with them--usually furs and fruit.

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Could Speak Italian

Later they established contacts with the Italian fruit merchants here because they understood the Italian language, fairly well, that is how many of them happened to become fruit merchants in the early days.

The first Greek settlers who came to Chicago remained only for a month or so. Then they returned to Greece, where they painted a golden word picture for their friends and relatives of Chicago, the city of opportunities. When they came back to the city they brought back with them several relatives and friends. And thus the foundations of the Greek colony of Chicago were laid.

Of course those pioneer settlers were not thoroughly Americanized. Every now and then they grew despondent. They had a yearning to return to their native land and live under the beautiful skies of Hellas.

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Catch Chicago Spirit

But as the days went by they became American citizens through the channels of naturalization. They began to assimilate American ideals. They began to understand Chicago's spirit of "I Will." They learned to grow with the great city of their adoption.

One of the Greek pioneers who came over and settled on Kinzie Street, more than seventy years ago was Capt. Nicholas Pappas, who died recently. He was very well known and very well liked among the early Greek colonists here.

The first Greek Marriage in Chicago occurred shortly after the Civil War. when Nicholas Brown, owner of a barber shop which was then on Kinzie St., married an American girl.

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Came After Fire

The great Chicago fire of 1871 was a milestone in the history of the Greek settlement in this city. For that terrific disaster encouraged a large number of Greeks to come to Chicago and take part in the work of rebuilding the demolished city.

Among those who had settled here in the period following the Chicago fire were: Constantine Mitchell, who lived in Streeterville and was a great friend of old Capt. Streeter; "Uncle" Thomas Combiths, whose son, Frank, is now with J. H. White & Co. at the Fulton market; Constantine Masters, now a tailor in the Republic Building, who is recognized as the oldest living pioneer Greek in Chicago, and Christ Chacona.

Christ Chacona, known as "the Columbus of Sparta", was a tremendous force in encouraging Greek immigrants to come to Chicago after the fire. When he came to this city he saw the money-making possibilities it offered, and returned to Tzintzina, Sparta, his native town.

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He brought back a number of relatives with him and they became fruit merchants along Lake Street which was then the business center of Chicago. When news of their success reached their home town, Tzintzina, a new wave of Greeks came over to seek their fortunes in the land of opportunity.

By 1882, the Greek settlement of Chicago was a thriving community numbering 1,000 people.

Pioneers Were Men

Curiously enough, all the pioneer Greek settlers in the city were men. The first Greek woman in Chicago was Mrs. Peter Pooley who came here in 1885. She was very active in the Greeks community and organized the Greco-Slavonian Society in 1892 for the purpose of maintaining a benevolent association for Greeks and keeping alive the ideal of the Greek religion.

About the same time, the Greek Society Lycourgos was founded. It arranged to bring to Chicago the Rev. Peter Phiambolis. He was the first Greek priest in America and he officiated as pastor of the first Greek church here, which was then at 60 W. Kinzie St.

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In that period the Greeks of Chicago found two great friends---Jane Addams and Mayor Carter H. Harrison. Jane Addams opened to the Greeks the doors of Hull House which helped them tremendously with their problems, as they were becoming Americanized.

Visited By Prince

Carter H. Harrison had traveled through Greece, particularly Sparta, in 1885 and when he returned to Chicago he gave the Greeks, here, a welcoming hand of encouragement which they never have forgotten.

In recent years, two outstanding events in the history of Chicago's Greeks were the visit of Eleutherios Venizelos, famous Greeks diplomat, in October, 1921; and the visit of Prince Paul of Greece two years ago.

Mr. Veniselos, who was termed by the late President Wilson as "one of the greatest men at the peace conference", made a tour of the Greek churches during his stay in Chicago. He was escorted by the Hellenic Post of the American Legion.

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At a banquet given in his honor by the Greek community of Chicago, Prince Paul heard such leading Chicagoans as Mrs. Jacob Baur, Mrs. J. Hamilton Lewis, Judge John P. McGoorty, Judge Henry B. Miller and the late Patrick H. L'Donnell proclaim the Greek community of Chicago a credit to the city.