Greeks in San Francisco

The history of San Francisco’s Greek community is linked to the history of San Francisco. The first Greeks to arrive were sailors, miners, and laborers. By the 1880s, they had formed benevolent, civic, and fraternal organizations. In 1904, the first Greek Orthodox Church west of Chicago was established, and Third Street became the heart of the Greek community. The 1906 earthquake and fire destroyed much of their new community, but undaunted, the Greeks of San Francisco rebuilt their lives to become business leaders and politicians, contributing their entrepreneurial and philanthropic spirit to the city’s rich heritage.