| What's in a Name? Paris Texas is in good company, as it is among many other Texas cities with names that hail from overseas - like Odessa, Bogota, Detroit, Athens, etc. And, Paris is the second largest city so named in the world. Southern History Paris sits on an expanse of beautiful Triden's prairie between the Red and Sulphur Rivers. The city's original name was Pinhook and it was located in Red River county, but by 1841 Lamar county was formed and the town was renamed Paris in honor of Mirabeau Lamar, the governor of Texas at the time. Paris quickly became the commercial hub for the surrounding cotton farms, and an important trade center for Northeast Texas and Southeast Oklahoma. So as not to disturb its trade with Indian Territory, the city voted against secession. White citizens, however, fought for the Confederacy all the same. Paris also became the center of action of the Woman's Temperance Movement, whose notorious leader Carrie Nation not only condemned alcohol - which is probably why Paris is still a dry town - but promoted women's suffrage as well. The darkest hour of the city occurred in February 1893, when Henry Smith, an African American migrant worker, was lynched in front of a 10,000 strong mob. Many had actually taken excursion trains from Dallas to witness this alleged child murderer's gruesome killing. He was not only burned at the stake, but his eyes were seared out with red hot pokers. Several witnesses to the event then gathered his bones as souvenirs. Fire of 1916 No one knows what exactly started one of the most devastating fires to hit any American city, but the inferno of 1916 is believed to have been started by a spark from a train at the switching yards. Howling winds added to the dry conditions that day, and the resulting fire burned for three days. It destroyed all of downtown Paris, including the pink granite courthouse. Fire fighters from Dallas, Bonham, Clarksville, Sherman, and Denison aided the Paris firemen, and when it was all over, the completely demolished city had over $11 million in property damage. Modernity Paris quickly rebuilt, locating the courthouse behind downtown to preserve the remaining documents and records from another disaster. James Culbertson donated a fountain in 1922 to commemorate the fire and beautifying the square. Three hospitals began serving the Red River Valley - a charity hospital run by nuns, a public sanitarium, and a doctor's hospital. In 1924, Paris' educational needs were met when the doors to Paris Junior College first opened. Then, by World War II Paris became a major military training ground at Camp Maxey (where tons of ammunition and other Army equipment are supposed to have been buried and lost) and later, a P.O.W. camp. Today, Camp Maxey, which was named after the Civil War General who made Paris his home, hosts the Texas National Guard. Tornado of 1982 The twister that landed just a few yards from downtown must have been at least an F3, and it left 14 people dead. Paris quickly rebuilt itself again, although the city demolished or otherwise neglected several of its old buildings. Today, Paris is still a regional hub for health care and business, and hosts plenty of immigrants and emigrant Mennonites, too. |
 |
| |
 |
The old Gibraltar Hotel
No way could a trip to Paris -whether the one
in France or here - be complete without a
salute to the Eiffel Tower, avec hat.
in France or here - be complete without a
salute to the Eiffel Tower, avec hat.
The train depot is now the Chamber of
Commerce, a transportation museum, and a
genealogical library.
Commerce, a transportation museum, and a
genealogical library.
The 1922 Culbertson Fountain is a true gem
| Things to See and Do Culbertson Fountain Downtown square Sam Bell Maxey House State Historic Site 812 S. Church Street 903-785-5716 www.tpwd. state.tx.us/park/sambell Church Street Historic District Santa Fe Station Depot SW 11th and Kaufmann Houses Chamber of Commerce, Museum, Genealogical Library 903-784-2501 (Chamber) Eiffel Tower with Cowboy Hat Jefferson St. and Collegiate Drive Evergreen Cemetery Jefferson Street west and S. Church Make sure to see the statue of Jesus wearing cowboy boots! Pat Mayse Lake Fishing, camping, swimming, hiking Aikin Archives Paris Junior College Library 2400 Clarksville Street Houses lots of Aikin (former state senator) papers, some genealogy |
How to Get There
Paris sits at the intersection of US 82 and
US 271, just 20 miles south of the Red River
and two hours northeast of Dallas. Click on
the map to find it for yourself.
Paris sits at the intersection of US 82 and
US 271, just 20 miles south of the Red River
and two hours northeast of Dallas. Click on
the map to find it for yourself.
| Paris, Texas: The City of Plight |
| Skipper Steely, author and historian, sent these helpful remarks: Paris had many dark hours, the Smith event being one...others were three huge fires, one tornado, and the burning of the Arthur Brothers in 1920, which I consider more terrible than what happened to Smith. By 1920 the town should have been more mature. Skipper Check out Mr. Steely's many historic contributions (these links will take you to Amazon.com): Pearl Harbor Countdown: Admiral James O. Richardson The Journey Across America: the Texas Dentons 1630-1931 Santa Anna Prisoner of War in Texas Backward Glances (A.W. Neville, author, Skipper Steely, editor) Six Months from Tennessee: A Story of the Many Pioneers of Miller County, Arkansas |
The historic Wise house has been renovated. The
former carriage houses are still intact, too.
former carriage houses are still intact, too.
