Yiorgos Caralambo
Yiorgos (or George) Caralambo also called Greek George and George Allen (? – September 2, 1913) was a camel driver hired by U.S. Army in 1856 for the Camel Corps experiment in the Southwest. The camels were to be tested for use in transportation across the "Great American Desert." Biography. Caralambo, who was of Greek ancestry, was living in Smyrna when he was selected for the Camel Corps. The American government hired eight camel drivers from Asia Minor to tend the animals. Caralambo and the other camel drivers arrived at the Port of Indianola in Lavaca County, Texas with their  animals on the USS "Supply". In Steven Dean Pastis's article "Go West Greek George," the eight men are identified: Caralambo, Hadji Ali (later known as "Philip Tedro"), Mimico Teodora (Mico), Hadjiatis Yannaco ("Long Tom"), Anastasio Coralli ("Short Tom"), Michelo Georgios, Yanni Iliato and Giorgios Costi. The United States had purchased a total of 33 camels: 3 in Tunis, 9 in Egypt and 21 in Smyrna. The Camel Corps hauled supplies to build the Butterfield Overland Stage Route from St. Louis, Missouri to Los Angeles. The route was completed by September 1858. Through his service in the Camel Corps, Greek  George met Major Henry Hancock, a Harvard trained lawyer and wealthy Los Angeles landowner. Hancock was so impressed by Caralambo's dedication that he wanted to employ him privately to drive camels carrying mail along the Butterfield Route. Hancock allowed Greek George to build a farmhouse with stables to house the dromedaries in the northwest part of Rancho La Brea, in present-day West Hollywood. The plan fell through when the Army disbanded the Camel Corps in 1862. Greek George was forced to turn the camels into the wild; they roamed the area for at least thirty years afterwards. Greek  George remained at Rancho La Brea well into the 1870s, taking care of Major Hancock's cattle and horses. He became a naturalized United States citizen in 1867 and changed his name to George Allen. That same year, the U.S. Government deeded land to him in present-day Hollywood in recognition of his work with the Camel Corps. On May 5, 1874, Tiburcio Vásquez, one of the most notorious California bandits of the 1870s and 1880s, was captured while hiding out in a shack behind the home of Caralambos, known to locals as "Greek George". Vásquez, who terrorized Southern California  for over 23 years, frequently used Greek George's farmhouse as one of his numerous hideouts. Someone informed on Vásquez, possibly Greek George himself, enticed by the $15,000 reward. However, others claim it was a relative of Vásquez, angry because the outlaw had had an affair with the relative's niece. A posse led by Sheriff Albert Johnson rode from Los Angeles to Greek George's residence. The site is in present-day West Hollywood, thought to be near the corner of Santa Monica Boulevard and King's Road. Caralambos later moved to Montebello, California and died near Mission  Vieja in 1913. Historical landmark. The grave of George Caralambo became a California Historical Landmark No. 646 on May 5, 1958. The marker at the site reads: