el ▁for ▁car av ans ▁and ▁a ▁to ll ▁station . ▁However , ▁houses ▁were ▁built ▁in ▁the ▁early ▁ 1 9 th ▁century , ▁before ▁the ▁Revolution ▁of ▁ 1 8 2 1 . ▁It ▁is ▁relatively ▁new ▁town ▁( the ▁community ▁was ▁established ▁in ▁ 1 9 1 2 ). ▁The ▁area ▁formerly ▁belonged ▁to ▁the ▁villages ▁of ▁D rak ia ▁and ▁Ag ios ▁Laurent ios , ▁a ▁port ▁from ▁which ▁these ▁and ▁other ▁villages ▁distributed ▁agricult ural ▁and ▁craft ▁products . ▁ ▁Econom ic ▁growth ▁▁ ▁From ▁ 1 8 0 9 ▁- ▁ 1 8 6 0 ▁companies ▁were ▁created ▁that ▁export ed ▁local ▁craft s ▁and ▁co pper ▁to ▁Western ▁Europe , ▁Roman ia , ▁and ▁Russia . ▁ ▁Ag ria ▁started ▁to ▁grow ▁rapidly ▁after ▁the ▁an nex ation ▁of ▁Th ess aly ▁from ▁the ▁Tur ks , ▁and ▁with ▁the ▁construction ▁of ▁a ▁coast al ▁road ▁and ▁rail ▁network ▁during ▁ 1 8 9 5 ▁that ▁connected ▁Vol os ▁to ▁the ▁south western ▁villages ▁of ▁Pel ion , ▁which ▁export ed ▁sea ▁fruit , ▁oil , ▁and ▁black ▁ol ives ▁from ▁the ▁bay . ▁ ▁In ▁ 1 9 1 1 ▁the ▁international ▁c ement ▁plant ▁A . G . E . T ▁H ER C U LES ▁() ▁was ▁founded ▁there . ▁The ▁plant ▁occup ies ▁a ▁natural ▁har bor ▁and ▁is ▁among ▁the ▁largest ▁c ement ▁produ cers ▁in ▁Europe , ▁Asia , ▁and ▁America . ▁ ▁In ▁ 1 9 2 0 ▁an