Nicolozakes Cafe

THE BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY OF NICOLOZAKES CAFE, LLC

Established in 1955 by Gus Nicolozakes (Mike and Maria's grandfather), the tavern has a long storied history. The three story building housing the cafe was constructed in 1917 and has been the home of several businesses long before the bar was started in the basement in 1955.

Gus Nicolozakes was born in the village of Neo Horio, Crete, Greece on August 1, 1885 and passed away in Fairpoint, Ohio September 22, 1961. He arrived to the United States as an immigrant in 1911 through the Port of New York at Ellis Island.

His future wife Diamanta Papadakis (1898-1968) arrived to this country from Neo Horio, Crete leaving the port of Chania, Crete and coming to the United States on January 5, 1921. She was escorted by her brother and his wife, both of whom later returned to Greece. Diamanta (Diana) and Gus were married in Wheeling, West Virginia on January 20, 1921.

Diana worked as a cook at a boarding house operated by Gus in the mythical coal mining town of Clarkson, Ohio located directly southwest of Fairpoint. She gave birth to 10 children from 1922-1933 (George, Judy, Helen, Goldie, Stanley, Sophia, William, Ann, Mary and Wanda). The Nicolozakes children were raised in a small house about 120 feet east of the present day tavern building. After 42 years in Fairpoint, Diana returned only once to Crete with her daughter Ann in the summer of 1963. Before coming home to America, she threw a rock and said "I'll never see this place (Greece) again".

The building housing the cafe was at one time a bakery and a trucking garage. Gust Nicolozakes Trucking Company was founded in Fairpoint.

Gus Nicolozakes and Diamanta Papadakis' names are etched in bronze on the wall at the Ellis Island Immigration Station in New York City in remembrance of their legal entry into the United States.. This honor was given to them by our cousin Bill Nicolozakes. A photograph of this wall is mounted in the cafe by the entrance door.

The bakery flourished in the 1920's when the coal boom was well underway in the upper Wheeling Creek Valley which included Fairpoint, Crabapple, Big Five, Clarkson, Trolls, Midway, and Maynard. Flour was shipped into the building by train car. The bakery was located on the second floor of the building. Gus Nicolozakes also had another bakery on Columbia Hill in Fairpoint. Fairpoint's population soared to 6000 people according to the book "Happy Coal Miners of Peaceful Valley Camp" authored by The Reverend Paul Harris. Paul lived in Fairpoint and noted that five hundred carpenters and construction workers were in the valley hastily building company houses for people to live in. There were several grocery stores in Fairpoint, many other stores, two bakeries, and in later years a movie theatre located adjacent to the present day "former" post office. Dr. J.B. Martin practiced medicine in town before relocating to St. Clairsville. He even delivered a baby in 1933 named Evangelia (Angel). The Martin Center at the old Belmont County fairgrounds in St. Clairsville was named in his honor.

Gus also operated a coffee house in the 1930's, The building was located directly across Route 9 from Piatek's Nite Club. This coffee house can still be seen in a large framed photograph hanging on the wall at the cafe.

Around the year 1927, the Pittsburgh #8 coal seam was being mined out in this area and the Valley Camp Coal Company was looking ahead. Following was the stock market crash of 1929 with the wrath of the Great Depression looming. Thousands of people drifted away and Fairpoint declined for decades. The Nicolozakes Bakery decided to bake bread and give it away to the people of Fairpoint and Trolltown since no one had any money. They did this until the supplies were gone and went bankrupt in 1930. Many old time locals told me about the bakery and Fairpoint on my paper route in the 1970's.

Most of the coal company houses are long gone, but some are still around remodeled with additions added on. The giant gob pile "slate dump" in Fairpoint was reclaimed in the 1980's by The Fairpoint Coal Company. The larger gob pile at the lost mining town of Trolls was reclaimed by an ODNR contractor in 2005. "Trolltown" was a coal camp located on the railroad tracks between Fairpoint and Midway.

Born in Fairpoint, our mother Evangelia (Angel) Nicolozakes (1933-2007) was somehow given the name of "Wanda" upon entering Wheeling Township's Fairpoint School. The youngest of 10 kids, she graduated from St. Clairsville High School in 1951. While still in high school Wanda worked as a waitress at Belmont Hills Country Club, often riding to work with Mrs. Laura Higgenbotham. She also cleaned the Rusk Family Farm House off County Road 10 near Midway. After high school and moving on to Columbus, Ohio she was employed at the Farm Bureau Mutual Automobile Insurance Company (Now Nationwide Insurance). She married William "Red" Deter and after moving to Dayton, Ohio Wanda became a secretary at the Dayton Air Force Depot at Wright Patterson Air Force base from 1958-1960. A daughter Suzanne was born in Columbus at Lockbourne AFB (now Rickenbacher) and a son Bill was born at Dayton Montgomery Hospital.

Divorced and returning to the area, Wanda took a job as a bartender at Pick's Place near Morristown, which was operated by her sister Sophia Nicolozakes Brewster. Sophie and her husband bought a closed up roadhouse named Pick's in 1957 and she eventually transformed it into a National Road landmark on Route 40. It tragically burned down May 5, 2013 with our dear Aunt Sophie passing away.

Upon the death of her father Gus in 1961 Wanda left Pick's Place and moved back to Fairpoint to assist her mother Diana with the operation of Nicolozakes Cafe. She met Crabapple native William M. Butler and married again on December 29, 1961 at the Greek Orthodox Church "Zoodochos Peghe" in Martins Ferry. Their wedding reception was held in Fairpoint on the upper floor of Steve Miller's Night Club which stood on the corner of Route 9 and Pramik Road near present day Simone Tire Service.

William Marion Butler (1932-1988) nicknamed "Monk" worked for Wheeling Steel - Martins Ferry Plant, and The Evick Construction Co. in St. Clairsville for 28 years,
and lastly 6 years for The Marietta Coal Company. Will served as Vice-President of the Wheeling Township School Board of Education in the 1960's. Active in softball, he founded and managed the "Old Timer's" softball team with Jim Sloan. Wanda and Will had three children; Katina Eleni, Michael, and Maria Diamanta Aphrodite. Will always treated Suzanne and Bill as his own. William Butler passed away on June 26, 1988.

After 46 years operating Nicolozakes Cafe, Wanda Nicolozakes Butler went to Heaven March 3, 2007. She is forever loved and fondly remembered by all of us. Her family was first in her life and she leaves
that family as her legacy.

Her daughters Suzanne Horvath (Columbus), Kathy Bland (Fairpoint), and Maria Hamilton (Flushing). Her sons: William Deter (Fairpoint) and Mike Butler (Fairpoint).
Son in law John Bland. Daughter in law the late Donna Deter. Her grandchildren: Zachary Carl Taylor, Nikolas James Bland, John Michael Bland, Alexandria Mary Hamilton, Robert William Hamilton, and Stacy Shardae Deter Gray. Great grandchildren: Makenzie Lynn Taylor, Carmen Andrea Deter and Amaya Gray.

Since 2007 Mike B. and Maria H. have been operating Nicolozakes Cafe, LLC.

Michael L. Butler graduated from St. Clairsville High School. He attended Cleveland State University and is a graduate of Belmont College in Accounting and Business. Mike worked for The Marietta Coal Company for nearly 20 years in the engineering department eventually becoming head land surveyor for all mining operations. He also was employed 6 years for Quality Environmental Services monitoring water quality for five area coal companies. Mike was elected Fiscal Officer of Wheeling Township in 2003. He was appointed to the Belmont County Township Association Board in 2014. He was partners with his mother Wanda at Nicolozakes Cafe from 1989-2007. Mike is a member of the Greek Orthodox Church Of The Life Giving Fountain.

Maria Diamanta Aphrodite Hamilton graduated from St. Clairsville High School and attended Ohio University Belmont and The Ohio State University majoring in business management. Maria and her family moved back to this area from Columbus, Ohio in 2000. She is a member of "Zoodochos Peghe" Greek Orthodox Church in Martins Ferry, Ohio. She has two children; Allie and Bobby Hamilton.
Maria has owned and is operating a medical transcription service since 1994.