This is the story of Dimitri, Marcos and Constantinos Lardas who came to the United States in the early 1900's from the
island of Ikaria. They were the sons of Nicola and Vassiliki Mouganis Lardas.
In the beginning, they settled in the hills of Western Pennsylvania and Eastern Ohio.
Now, descendants are everywhere - from the lakes of Michigan to the beaches of Florida, from the streets of Cincinnati
to the hills of New England, and beyond. They crossed the Atlantic to give us the gift of America.
We are Americans, but we are also, and forever more, Greek. This site is dedicated to our proud heritage.
Who We Were and Who We Are
Do the phrases "Central Contracting Company," "St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church," "And In Him,
Too, In Us," "Moosemeadow Camping Resort," "The Place" or "NIKO Contracting" mean anything
to you? If so, you may be one of us.
When this site was first built a few years ago I wanted to preserve the past. I still do, but the present has taken
on its own rich flavor. Cousins are professors at the University of Cincinnati and first grade teachers in Kuwait. Some stay
and raise families on Parkview Avenue, while others raise horses in Connecticut. We made good use of the gift of America
and we owe it all to those who dared cross the seas and take a chance in America.
Dimitri and his brothers came over initially to earn a living for their struggling families in Greece. They worked
on the railroads and in the coal fields. Their children went on to be scholars and contractors, stockbrokers and restauranteurs,
writers and nurses, teachers and mechanics.
This site is slanted toward Dimitri, as the creator of the site is his great-granddaughter. All of us look forward
to hearing from all of you. Information on all cousins will be added as it comes in.
We all especially look forward to hearing from the family who stayed on Ikaria:)
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