Paris Is In Texas?!

I recently visited the City of Paris; not France (although I have stopped by the 'City of Lights'), but Paris in Northeast Texas. This quaint, beautiful community at the western edge of the Piney Woods is chock-full of history and culture. My wife and I spent the day eating delicious, homemade breakfast foods at a local diner, wandering around several antique malls (and spending our money on some prized heirlooms), and strolling through the very picturesque downtown plaza, where you can feel the spirits of the past walk by you. We also made an important stop at the city's replica of the Eiffel Tower, a 65-foot tall version of its French counterpart that was built by a regional iron union, the Boiler Makers Local #902. The Paris, TX tower (currently the third-largest in the world) was constructed in 1993 and is famous for wearing a bright red cowboy hat, which is tipped ever so coolly back. When you have lived in the Great State of Texas as long as I have (17-plus years), you will quickly understand that Texans enjoy incorporating their own flair on international icons.

I stand in front of the Culbertson Fountain in Paris's lovely downtown square. The fountain, constructed from imported Carrara Marble, is named in honor of John James and Emily Culbertson.

Following the 1836 Texas Revolution, Red River County spanned the area northeast of the present-day DFW metroplex. By 1840, a significant population growth spurt necessitated the organization of a new county. George Washington Wright, a representative in the Third Congress of the Republic of Texas, persuaded a majority of the politicians in the Fifth Congress to establish a new county on December 17, 1840. Lamar County was named after Mirabeau B. Lamar, the first vice president and second president of the Republic. The City of Paris became the third county seat in 1842 after Wright donated 50 acres around his general store for its creation. After, Wright and his family traveled the region, persuading families to settle in their new community. The campaigning worked; businesses, including banks, drug stores, and schools popped up, five railroad lines crisscrossed through the center of town (including the Texas and Pacific, the Texas Midland, and the Paris and Mount Pleasant Railroads), and many wooden residences were built. Paris thrived. At the start of the twentieth century, the recorded population was close to 50,000. However, fortune would not always be on the citizens' side.

The historic buildings in Paris's downtown square are today either vacant or home to some fabulous antique malls. This is the Paris Community Theatre, which was a popular hotspot for teenagers during the 1930s and 1940s.

At five o'clock in the afternoon on March 21, 1916, a small fire started at the S.J. Long Warehouse near the southwest city limits. Its cause is unknown, however, many theory that a spark from a switch engine ignited dry grass outside the warehouse. The small fire erupted into a larger problem when winds at 50 miles per hour blew the flames out of control as it burned a funnel-shaped path to the northeast edge of Paris. It was said that the flames were visible up to 40 miles away. The blaze was out of control and could not be stopped by the many volunteer firefighters who hastily descended on the scene. Firemen from Bonham, Cooper, Dallas, Honey Grove, and Hugo (in Oklahoma) helped the city's fire department fight the fire. The 1916 fire destroyed most of the downtown's business district and a residential area before it was controlled at sunrise on March 22. Paris citizens were exhausted and gaped at the losses. The Texas State Fire Commission reported the destruction of 1,440 buildings, including the Post Office, Lamar County Courthouse and Jail, City Hall, and several churches, with an approximate monetary loss of $11 million. This event was devastating! 

Paris was quickly rebuilt after the 1916 fire. The American National Bank used to be housed in this 1917-era building. The structure is now home to Paris Optical.

Although most of the city was razed and in embers, the Paris citizens were very resilient and vowed to rebuild. Bolstered by a small carboard sign on a burned building frame that simply said, "SMILE!," the community swiftly cleared the rubble and started rebuilding. John James Culbertson, a former designer of the 1913 Paris Master Plan, and his wife Emily were among several admired citizens who tirelessly worked to restore Paris's successful legacy. The couple donated acres of land and many pieces of art to various institutions in the city. In just one year, the downtown (and all its ancient, mysterious grandeur) was nearly restored. Consequently, Paris now has one of the largest examples of 1916-era architecture. The city, after its sudden rebirth, continued to grow in the first-half of the twentieth century. Paris was host to Camp Maxey in World War II; the 70,000-acre sight was home to 45,000 volunteer trainees at a time as well as a POW compound for 7,000 prisoners. The camp also had an obstacle course and artillery range. The camp's wooden quarters would be broken down after the war and used as materials for the GI Village dormitories at East Texas State Teachers College in Commerce. The Red River region experienced another growth spurt in the 1950s; Paris invited large companies, including Kimberly-Clark and Campbell's Soup to set up their regional headquarters in the city, further enhancing the city's economy (which was once fueled by cotton). Paris's population equaled around 25,000 in the 2010 census. During our visit, my wife and I saw many local 'tourists' (like us) walking into the antique shops and taking photographs in front of the downtown's buildings. It appears that Paris enjoys inviting tourists to encounter the city's vibrant cultural and historical energy. If you drive through Lamar County, I would recommend swinging by the downtown square in Paris; this is a spirited, adorable community (and I can not wait to visit the area's museums when I am next in town!).

There are many vintage murals in Paris, highlighting products that the general stores used to sell at the start of the twentieth century (including Coca-Cola, Dr. Pepper, Texico, Sky Chief Gasoline, and many others). Did you know that a downtown Paris confectionary served the very first Coca-Cola in Texas?!

I also received the first dose of the Pfizer Vaccine, which will hopefully keep me safe from the dreadful Covid-19 Pandemic. The shot was harmless and I did not feel much bruising in my arm in the days after. I send my heartfelt gratitude to the doctors, nurses, and medical personnel who tirelessly worked around the clock in the previous year to create a safe, effective vaccine, and are currently operating day and night in a race to vaccinate citizens before the pandemic becomes worse. I also send my warmest appreciation to the nurse-in-training who carefully administered my vaccine dose, Hodalis. It was a special moment for us both since she is also one of my student staff at Texas A&M-Commerce, and I am very proud of her work ethic and academic accomplishments.

I received my first dose of the Covid-19 vaccine. One of my Resident Assistants at TAMUC administered my vaccine- she is going to be a fantastic nurse in the future!

I am standing in front of the Eiffel Tower in Paris, TX (the third-largest Eiffel Tower in the world, and the only one wearing a cowboy hat!). No trip to Paris is complete without seeing this marvel.

Paris has a long-standing relationship with the military; Camp Maxey, one of the U.S. Army's training bases during WWII, was located in Paris. The Red River Valley Veteran Memorial was recently built to commemorate the veterans from Paris and other neighboring cities who fought in American wars. The site and statues were beautiful and breathtaking.

The (older) First Baptist Church in Paris. Robert Cooke Buckner became the pastor of this congregation in 1861. After his resignation in 1873, Buckner founded a Baptist orphans home in Dallas. The modern edition of the Baptist Church is built next to its predecessor.

The Paris Fire Department was established as a volunteer unit by a group of local businessmen led by Willet Babcock. The group was known as Phoenix Fire Company No. 1. The city created a paid fire department in 1908 and were housed in the quarters pictured above (note, the first-floor arched windows that used to be the garage doors). The fire department were involved in the 1916 fire.