A BRIEF HISTORY OF NICOLOZAKES CAFÉ

Founded in 1955 by Gus Nicolozakes (1885 – 1961), the tavern has a long and storied history. The original building was constructed in 1917 and has been the home of several businesses over the years before the bar was established. Gus Nicolozakes emigrated from the island of Crete, Greece around the turn of the last century via Ellis Island, New York. His future wife, Diamanta Papadakis (1898 – 1968), arrived in this country from Crete in the year 1920. In a prearranged marriage, she was escorted to the United States by her brother and his wife who later returned to Greece. Diamanta (Diana) worked as a cook at a boarding house operated by Gus in the mythical coal mining town of Clarkson, Ohio, just southwest of Fairpoint. She had 10 children and the Nicolozakes family grew up in Fairpoint in a small house about 200 feet behind the present day tavern. She only returned to Crete once after 44 years in Fairpoint. She visited the island again in 1964. Before returning home to America, Diana threw a rock and said, “I’ll never see this place (Greece) again”.

Gus and Diana Nicolozakes’ names are on the wall at the Ellis Island Immigration Station in New York City in remembrance of the waves of millions of immigrants entering the United States.

The building housing the café was at one time a bakery, a trucking garage, and prohibition era coffee house (speakeasy).

Nicolozakes Trucking and Construction, Company of Cambridge was founded in Fairpoint. Originally, a crawl space, Gus’ sons George, Stanley, and Himer dug out the basement of the building to make way for a garage. Gus Nicolozakes’ best friend, Mario (“Fifi”) Simone, helped him install plumbing and restrooms. He also operated a coffee house called Big Gus and Little Gus’s in a building across from the Piatek’s Nite Club. That building is no longer standing but still can be seen in a large framed photograph on the wall at the tavern.

The bakery flourished during the 1920s when the coal boom was well underway in the Wheeling Creek Valley which included the areas of Fairpoint, Crab Apple, Clarkson, Trolls, Midway, and Big Five. Flour by the trainload was shipped into the building and the bakery was on the second floor where the small band hall is today. Fairpoint’s population swelled to 6000 people and according to the book, “Peaceful Valley Camp” by Paul Harris, five hundred carpenters and construction workers were in the valley hastily building company houses for the people to live in. Back then, most people had to live near factories and coal mines. Automobiles were not affordable for many. There were several grocery stores in Fairpoint and many businesses as well as a movie theatre next to the present day Post Office. Dr. J.B. Martin practiced medicine here before moving on to St. Clairsville.

Around the year 1927, the #8 coal seam was being exhausted. Following was the stock market crash of 1929 with the wrath of The Great Depression. Thousands of people drifted away to more profitable ventures and Fairpoint declined for decades.

Most of the coal company houses are long gone, but some are still around having been remodeled with additions added on. Several huge gob piles “slate dumps” still remain, mostly at the lost town of Trolls between Fairpoint and Midway. They are a popular 4-wheeler destination. The gigantic gob pile at Fairpoint was reclaimed in the 1980s by Fairpoint Coal Company.

Born in Fairpoint, Evangalia Nicolozakes (now Wanda Butler), the youngest of 10 children, graduated from St. Clairsville High School. She worked as a waitress at the Belmont Hills Country Club. Later, after moving to Columbus, Ohio, Wanda was employed at the Farm Bureau in 1953, now known as Nationwide Insurance.

Recently married and moving on to Dayton, Ohio, she became a secretary at the Dayton Air Force Depot near the Wright Patterson Field from 1958 – 1960. Her son Bill was born at Dayton Montgomery Hospital, and daughter Suzanne was born in Columbus at Lockbourne Air Force Base, now known as Rickenbacher AFB.

After returning to the area, Wanda needed a job and worked for several years as a bartender near Morristown at Pick’s Place, operated by her sister Sophia.

Upon the death of her father Gus, Wanda helped run the Nicolozakes Café with her mother Diana. She met Crab Apple native William Butler and they were married for twenty-six years. He worked for Wheeling-Pittsburgh Steel at Martins Ferry, Evick Construction, and later at The Marietta Coal Company. Will Butler served as a Wheeling Township Trustee and was a former member of the Fairpoint School Board. Active in softball, Will founded and managed the “Old Timers” softball team for many years. He passed away in 1988.

After 46 years in business, Wanda passed away on March 3, 2007. She is sadly missed, but Nicolozakes Cafe will remain as her legacy.

Many people have fond memories of all the great times they have had here over the years. They keep coming back and telling us so. With one of the Ohio Valley’s best juke boxes, great rock-n-roll bands on the weekends, and long-time friend and bartender Connie, it is very difficult not to have a good time here.

Who can forget the bar parties and chicken BBQs of the 1970s and that very first band night on June 16, 1989 with “Driver”. Thanks for the memories and great times to come.