Charles Kollas, originally named Constantinos Memos, was born in Neohorion, Greece in 1897. Growing up in a poor family, Kollas’ father travelled regularly to Russia to beg for money, taking him along many times, which led to Kollas eventually learning Russian.
By 1912, Kollas traveled alone to America at the age of 15 to join his brother in Akron, Ohio. His brother encouraged him to choose an “American” name and he settled on Charles Kollas. Charles worked in a tire factor for a couple years to learn English and become familiar with American culture.
Charles would then move to New York City and sell hot dogs with a pushcart and jumped around in the New York area, opening restaurants that catered to and featured Greek food. He married Mary Lois in 1930 and they eventually moved to Gettysburg to open a restaurant. By 1937, they had moved to Carlisle and Kollas was part owner of the Famous Texas Lunch, but left to open his own business, the Hamilton.
Kollas and his wife, Mary, sponsored many individuals and orphans from his hometown of Neohorion and surrounding villages. By sponsoring these individuals, they hoped they could come to America to earn money to send back and support their families. Kollas provided the passage money and guaranteed employed at the Hamilton. It is believed that they sponsored or helped between 80-90 people. Additionally, Kollas also sent funds back to Neohorion to residents and for civic improvements, like construction of a new church.
Kollas retired from the business in 1965 and eventually passed away in 1979 at the age of 82. The Hamilton restaurant is still in operation today.
Indentured servants were men and women who agreed to work for a master without pay for a specified number of years, usually in return for having their passages to America paid. This 1775 advertisement in Philadelphia’s Pennsylvania Gazette announced that the ship Hawke had just arrived from London and was lying off the Market Street wharf with a shipment of “a few likely healthy servants” of many different trades “whose times are to be disposed of.”
Interview of Athan Mazias by Blair Williams on April 27, 2015. The interview focuses on the Hamilton Restaurant and the Greek Community in Carlisle, Pennsylvania.