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 cafés, restaurants, soda fountains and groceries. Author Stephen Georgeson explores the Greek immigrants' experiences in their first three decades in Atlanta.
Stephen Georgeson is a graduate of the McCallie School in Chattanooga and received a BA from Emory University. He is a graduate of the University of Tennessee College of Law. For many years, he has had his own firm and serves as a lobbyist for several companies and organizations. He has served the Atlanta Annunciation Cathedral in many capacities.