The Tsamas Family roots.

The Tsamas roots originated in Sylivria, an area know regionally as East Thraki. This territory is Turkish. However, prior to 1922 Sylivria had a large Greek population. The Tsamas ancestors in that region were established for hundreds of years as wealthy land owners and business men.

In 1922, Greece and Turkey entered into a territorial war, whose consequence was that a large number of Greeks left the Turkish territories with only what they could carry, and settled as refugees in Greece.

At that point Anton’s grandfather took his family (wife and 4 children) and fled on a refugee ship, taking only cloths and gold coins. The Greek president at that time offered great support to the refugees. Anton’s grandfather to show his allegiance to that president decided then to change his name from Tsamas to Tsamides , which implied ancestry connected to that presidents background.

The name Tsamides stayed that way from 1922 until 1978.

When Anton applied for his U.S. citizenship, he thought it would be the proper time to return to the original name Tsamas. He did so to reconnect with the family’s past roots. His mother’s parents were also refugees from that historical event.

The Tsamas Family roots.