Lyric Amusement Co.

The first people who came to the new land were first known as discoverers followed by settlers and later we had the pioneers who would seek newer lands across the continent.

Soon afterwards, we had the immigrants arriving during the industrial revolution to the States from Europe.

The main reason the immigrants left their homelands was for new opportunities and more freedom who were used mainly to do the hard work of building the country with railroads, factories and mines.

One of the many early immigrants to arrive was James N. Xalis in 1898 and later followed by his nephews, Nick Diamos, Frank Diamos, George K. Diamos, and John Diamos with little money and unable to speak English.

They first settled in Chicago where most newly arrived Greeks had gathered and soon afterwards decided to explore more of the great country moving west to California.

On their way they worked on railroads and mines until Los Angeles was made their destination where Mr. Xalis and the Diamos brothers became engaged in a restaurant business for a brief period.

Mr. Xalis then learned of oil being discovered in Bakersfield, Ca. and went there to open a fruit stand in front of the railroad station in 1912.

They then heard in 1913 about Houston Texas as being a good town for business opportunities as it also was producing oil.

Before they left Bakersgfield they saw something new that attracted their attention which was called the Nickelodeon, and this gave them the notion to open one themselves.

The Nickelodeon was the beginning of the motion picture exhibition to the public.

It was very plain and inexpensive to open one as it only required a large store space with plain chairs and a small screen with a projector.

The Nickelodeon derived its name because a nickel or 5 cents wa the admission charged.

Mr. Diamos was chosen to go to Houston, Texas in 1913 to investigate the business opportunities there.