In 1920, there were 28 coffee shops in Lowell. And we think competition today is stiff. Toiling in the mills for 14 hours at a stretch, Greek immigrants needed a place to refuel that felt like home. See these guys? They are drinking java on Market Street in the Acre, where many of the city's earliest coffeehouses thrived. Looks like the now-defunct Olive that and More.

Minerva, Messinia, Smyrna, and Arcadia were the names of these seminal cafés. According to the Lowell Hellenic Heritage Association, a typical cafe had  "plenty of tables and chairs, and served a great deal of Turkish coffee and baklava." Sounds good to me.

Here's how one patron, whose identity slipped through the cracks of history, described it: "In the barren rooms of tables and chairs with basil plants lining the window sills and calendars of pretty women and pictures of grizzled Greek patriots on the wall, the men sipped Turkish coffee, read Greek newspapers, smoked the many‑tu nargile, played cards, and talked for hours. For amusement, the customers might dance, sing village songs, and listen to a bouzouki, or mandolin."

So you see it's no different from the coffeehouses of today, minus the marijuana smoking (no wonder these blokes look so stoic). WiFi has replaced much conversation, but open mics and music still fill the air. To wit: The Space has an open mic on Jan. 29 and Brew'd Awakening kicks out the jams Thursday. Do your part to keep this cultural facet of the city's history alive and visit a local cafe today.