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Paris, Texas

Paris is a city and county seat of Lamar County, Texas, United States. Located in Northeast Texas at the western edge of the Piney Woods, the population of the city was 24,171 in 2020.[3]

Paris, Texas
City
Historic Downtown Paris
Motto: 
Smile!
Location of Lamar County
Coordinates: 33°39′45″N 95°32′52″W / 33.66250°N 95.54778°W / 33.66250; -95.54778
CountryUnited States
StateTexas
CountyLamar
Government
 • City CouncilReginald Hughes
Shatara Moore
Gary Savage
Minor Pankaj
Linda Knox
Clayton Pilgrim
Paula Portugal (Mayor)
 • City ManagerGrayson Path
Area
 • Total37.07 sq mi (96.00 km2)
 • Land35.19 sq mi (91.14 km2)
 • Water1.88 sq mi (4.86 km2)
Elevation
600 ft (183 m)
Population
 (2020)
 • Total24,171
 • Density650/sq mi (250/km2)
 • Demonym
Parisite
Time zoneUTC−6 (Central (CST))
 • Summer (DST)UTC−5 (CDT)
ZIP codes
75460-75462
Area code903/430
FIPS code48-55080
GNIS feature ID1364810[2]
Websiteparistexas.gov

History

Present-day Lamar County was part of Red River County during the Republic of Texas. By 1840, population growth necessitated the organization of a new county. George Washington Wright, who had served in the Third Congress of the Republic of Texas as a representative from Red River County, was a major proponent of the new county. The Fifth Congress established the new county on December 17, 1840, and named it after Mirabeau B. Lamar,[4] who was the first Vice President and the second President of the Republic of Texas.

 
Map of the city in 1885

Lamar County was one of the 18 Texas counties that voted against secession on February 23, 1861.[5]

In 1877, 1896, and 1916, major fires in the city forced considerable rebuilding. The 1916 fire destroyed almost half the town and caused an estimated $11 million in property damage. The fire ruined most of the central business district and swept through a residential area. The burned structures included the Federal Building and Post Office, the Lamar County Courthouse and Jail, City Hall, most commercial buildings, and several churches.[6]

In 1893, black teenager Henry Smith was accused of murder, tortured, and then burned to death on a scaffold in front of thousands of spectators in Paris.[7] In 1920, two black brothers from the Arthur family were tied to a flagpole and burned to death at the Paris fairgrounds. The city has prominent memorials to the Confederacy.[7]

In 1943, the U.S. Supreme Court in Largent v. Texas struck down a Paris ordinance that prohibited a person from selling or distributing religious publications without first obtaining a city-issued permit. The Court ruled that the ordinance abridged freedom of religion, freedom of speech, and freedom of the press in violation of the Fourteenth Amendment.[8]

Following a tradition of American cities named "Paris" (named after France's capital), the city commissioned a 65-foot-tall (20 m) replica of the Eiffel Tower in 1993 and installed it on site of the Love Civic Center, southeast of the town square. In 1998, presumably as a response to the 1993 construction of a 60-foot-tall (18 m) tower in Paris, Tennessee, the city placed a giant red cowboy hat atop its tower. The current Eiffel Tower replica is at least the second one; an earlier replica constructed of wood was destroyed by a tornado.

Race relations

 
Lynching of Henry Smith, Paris Fairgrounds, 1893

Race relations in Paris were described by Newsweek as "turbulent" and sometimes "explosive".[9] In the late-19th and early-20th centuries, several lynchings of African-Americans were staged at the Paris Fairgrounds.[10][11] A black teenager, Henry Smith, lynched in 1893, was the first in US history captured in photographs.[12] Other lynchings included Irving and Herman Arthur in 1920.[13][14]

 
Local resident and activist Brenda Cherry speaking at the rally for Brandon McClelland, 2009

In 2008, an African-American man, Brandon McClelland, was run over and dragged to death by two white men, who were not prosecuted due to lack of evidence. A rally over the death in 2009 had groups shouting "white power" and "black power".[15]

Other incidents included sentencing disparities between black and white juveniles, racist flags and graffiti, school discipline disparities,[16][17] and racist labor practices.[18][19]

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 44.4 square miles (115 km2), of which 42.8 square miles (111 km2) are land and 1.7 square miles (4.4 km2) (3.74%) are covered by water.

Paris has a humid subtropical climate (Cfa in the Köppen climate classification). It is located in "Tornado Alley", an area largely centered in the middle of the United States in which tornadoes occur frequently because of weather patterns and geography. Paris is in USDA plant hardiness zone 8a for winter temperatures. This is cooler than its southern neighbor Dallas, and while similar to Atlanta, Georgia, it has warmer summertime temperatures. Summertime average highs reach 94 °F (34 °C) and 95 °F (35 °C) in July and August, with associated lows of 72 °F (22 °C) and 71 °F (22 °C). Winter temperatures drop to an average high of 51 °F (11 °C) and low of 30 °F (−1 °C) in January. The highest temperature on record was 115 °F (46 °C), set in August 1936, and the record low was −5 °F (−21 °C), set in 1930. Average precipitation is 47.82 in (1,215 mm). Snow is not unusual, but is by no means predictable, and years can pass with no snowfall at all.

On April 2, 1982, Paris was hit by an F4 tornado that destroyed more than 1,500 homes, and left 10 people dead, 170 injured, and 3,000 homeless. The damage toll from this tornado was estimated at US$50 million in 1982.[20]

Climate

According to the Köppen Climate Classification system, Paris has a humid subtropical climate, abbreviated "Cfa" on climate maps. The hottest temperature recorded in Paris was 115 °F (46.1 °C) on August 1936, while the coldest temperature recorded was −5 °F (−20.6 °C) on January 1930.[21]

Climate data for Paris, Texas, 1991–2020 normals, extremes 1896–present
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Record high °F (°C) 90
(32)
90
(32)
94
(34)
96
(36)
100
(38)
108
(42)
111
(44)
115
(46)
112
(44)
99
(37)
94
(34)
87
(31)
115
(46)
Mean maximum °F (°C) 73.9
(23.3)
77.8
(25.4)
83.9
(28.8)
87.5
(30.8)
93.0
(33.9)
98.1
(36.7)
102.5
(39.2)
103.5
(39.7)
99.2
(37.3)
91.8
(33.2)
82.3
(27.9)
74.9
(23.8)
104.7
(40.4)
Average high °F (°C) 53.5
(11.9)
58.5
(14.7)
66.5
(19.2)
75.0
(23.9)
82.7
(28.2)
91.2
(32.9)
95.8
(35.4)
96.2
(35.7)
88.7
(31.5)
78.2
(25.7)
65.2
(18.4)
55.8
(13.2)
75.6
(24.2)
Daily mean °F (°C) 43.4
(6.3)
47.8
(8.8)
55.7
(13.2)
63.9
(17.7)
72.7
(22.6)
81.1
(27.3)
85.3
(29.6)
85.1
(29.5)
77.6
(25.3)
66.4
(19.1)
54.6
(12.6)
45.8
(7.7)
65.0
(18.3)
Average low °F (°C) 33.2
(0.7)
37.0
(2.8)
44.9
(7.2)
52.8
(11.6)
62.7
(17.1)
71.0
(21.7)
74.8
(23.8)
74.1
(23.4)
66.5
(19.2)
54.7
(12.6)
44.0
(6.7)
35.8
(2.1)
54.3
(12.4)
Mean minimum °F (°C) 18.0
(−7.8)
21.9
(−5.6)
27.5
(−2.5)
37.3
(2.9)
47.4
(8.6)
60.6
(15.9)
66.5
(19.2)
65.6
(18.7)
52.4
(11.3)
38.3
(3.5)
28.1
(−2.2)
21.6
(−5.8)
14.4
(−9.8)
Record low °F (°C) −5
(−21)
−4
(−20)
7
(−14)
25
(−4)
30
(−1)
46
(8)
57
(14)
53
(12)
34
(1)
19
(−7)
15
(−9)
0
(−18)
−5
(−21)
Average precipitation inches (mm) 3.08
(78)
3.34
(85)
4.35
(110)
4.71
(120)
5.63
(143)
4.26
(108)
3.51
(89)
2.95
(75)
3.95
(100)
4.62
(117)
4.21
(107)
4.28
(109)
48.89
(1,241)
Average snowfall inches (cm) 0.4
(1.0)
0.1
(0.25)
trace 0.0
(0.0)
0.0
(0.0)
0.0
(0.0)
0.0
(0.0)
0.0
(0.0)
0.0
(0.0)
0.0
(0.0)
trace 0.4
(1.0)
0.9
(2.25)
Average precipitation days (≥ 0.01 in) 8.8 9.1 9.5 9.0 9.9 7.7 6.3 5.4 6.5 7.5 7.4 8.3 95.4
Average snowy days (≥ 0.1 in) 0.3 0.1 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.3 0.7
Source 1: NOAA (snow, snow days 1981–2010)[22][23]
Source 2: National Weather Service[21]

Demographics

Historical population
CensusPop.Note
18803,980
18908,254107.4%
19009,35813.4%
191011,26920.4%
192015,04033.5%
193015,6494.0%
194018,67819.4%
195021,64315.9%
196020,977−3.1%
197023,44111.7%
198025,4988.8%
199024,799−2.7%
200025,8984.4%
201025,171−2.8%
202024,171−4.0%
Texas Almanac[24]

From a 1880 United States census population of 3,980, the population of the city of Paris increased to 25,898 at the 2000 census; in 2020, however, its population declined to 24,171.[3]

In 2010, 25,171 people 10,306 households, and 6,426 families resided in the city.[25] The population density was 588.1 people per square mile (227.4/km2); the 11,883 housing units averaged 277.6 per square mile (107.3/km2). of all households were made up of individuals, and 15.2% had someone living alone who was 65 or older. The average household size was 2.38 and the average family size was 3.01. In the city, the population was distributed as 25.0% under 18, 10.6% from 18 to 24, 24.1% from 25 to 44, 23.8% from 45 to 64, and 16.6% who were 65 or older. The median age was 37.1 years. For every 100 females, there were 87.3 males. For every 100 females 18 and over, there were 82.9 males.

By 2020, the city had 10,522 households according to the American Community Survey, and 3,549 were married-couple households.[26] The average household size was 2.29, and the average family size was 2.99. Of its 2020 population, 933 were foreign-born nationals, 18.9% of whom were naturalized U.S. citizens. As of the census estimates, 49.6% of housing units were owner-occupied and 50.4% were renter-occupied.[27]

Paris racial composition as of 2020[28]
(NH = Non-Hispanic)[a]
Race Number Percentage
White (NH) 13,853 56.6%
Black or African American (NH) 5,643 23.06%
Native American or Alaska Native (NH) 331 1.35%
Asian (NH) 347 1.42%
Pacific Islander (NH) 19 0.08%
Some other race (NH) 57 0.23%
Mixed/multiracial (NH) 1,318 5.38%
Hispanic or Latino 2,908 11.88%
Total 24,476

In 2010, according to the U.S. Census Bureau, the racial makeup of the city was 70.3% White, 24.8% Black and African American, 3.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.1% Asian, and 4.1% from other races. Hispanics or Latinos of any race were 8.2% of the population.[25] In 2020, its racial and ethnic makeup was 56.6% non-Hispanic White, 23.06% Black and African American, 1.35% Native American, 1.42% Asian, 0.08% Pacific Islander, 0.23% some other race, 5.38% multiracial, and 11.88% Hispanic or Latino of any race, reflecting demographic trends of greater diversification.[31][32]

Economy

In the past, Paris was a major cotton exchange, and the county was developed as cotton plantations. While cotton is still farmed on the lands around Paris, it is no longer a major part of the economy.

Paris' one major hospital has two campuses: Paris Regional Medical Center South (formerly St. Joseph's Hospital) and Paris Regional Medical Center North (formerly McCuistion Regional Medical Center). It serves as the center of healthcare for much of Northeast Texas and Southeast Oklahoma. Both campuses are now operated jointly under the name of the Paris Regional Medical Center, a division of Essent Healthcare. Paris Regional Medical Center South Campus has recently closed and only the North Campus remains open. The health network is one of the largest employers in the Paris area.[33]

Outside of healthcare, the largest employers are Kimberly-Clark and Campbell Soup.

# Employer # of employees
1 Essent-PRMC 1000
2 Campbell Soup 900
3 Kimberly-Clark 800
4 Turner Industries 700
5 Paris ISD 640
T-6 North Lamar ISD 500
T-6 Walmart 500
8 TCIM 480
9 City of Paris 320
10 We-Pack Logistics 300

[34]

Note: PRMC is Paris Regional Medical Center.

Arts and culture

 
The Culbertson Fountain
 
The 65-foot Paris Eiffel Tower with the red cowboy hat at its summit

The city is home to several late-19th to mid-20th century stately homes. Among these is the Rufus Fenner Scott Mansion, designed by German architect J.L. Wees and constructed in 1910. The structure is solid concrete and steel with four floors. Rufus Scott was a prominent businessman known for shipping, imports, and banking. He was well known by local farmers, who bought aging transport mules from him. The Scott Mansion narrowly survived the fire of 1916. After the fire, Scott brought the architect Wees back to Paris to redesign the historic downtown area.[35]

Government

 
City Hall in July 2015

Paris is governed by a city council as specified in the city's charter adopted in 1948.

Paris is represented in the Texas Senate by Republican Bryan Hughes, District 1, and in the Texas House of Representatives by Republican Gary VanDeaver, District 1.

The Texas Department of Criminal Justice operates the Paris District Parole Office[36]

At the federal level, the two U.S. senators from Texas are Republicans John Cornyn and Ted Cruz. Paris is part of Texas's 4th congressional district, represented by Republican Pat Fallon.

The United States Postal Service operates the Paris Post Office.[37]

Education

 
Paris Public Library in July 2015

Elementary and secondary education is split among three main school districts:

Prairiland ISD also serves a small portion of the town, along with Blossom ISD.

In addition, Paris Junior College provides postsecondary education. It hosts the Texas Institute of Jewelry Technology, a well-respected school[according to whom?] of gemology, horology, and jewelry. The Industrial Technology Division offers programs in air conditioning technology, refrigeration technology, agricultural technology, drafting and computer-aided design, electronics, electromechanical technology, and welding technology.

Texas A&M University-Commerce, a major university of over 12,000 students, is located in the neighboring city of Commerce, 40 miles southwest of Paris.

The Paris Public Library serves Paris, as does the Lamar County Genealogical Society Library.[38]

Infrastructure

Transportation

 
Historic Paris train station

Paris has long been a railroad center. The Texas and Pacific reached town in 1876; the Gulf, Colorado and Santa Fe Railway (later merged into the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway) and the Frisco in 1887; the Texas Midland Railroad (later Southern Pacific) in 1894; and the Paris and Mount Pleasant (Pa-Ma Line) in 1910. Paris Union Station, built 1912, served Frisco, Santa Fe, and Texas Midland passenger trains until 1956. Today, the station is used by the Lamar County Chamber of Commerce and serves as the research library for the Lamar County Genealogical Society.[39]

Major highways

According to the Texas Transportation Commission, Paris is the second-largest city in Texas without a four-lane divided highway connecting to an interstate highway within the state. However, those traveling north of the city can go into the Midwest on a four-lane thoroughfare via US 271 across the Red River into Oklahoma, and then the Indian Nation Turnpike from Hugo to Interstate 40 at Henryetta, which in turn continues as a free four-lane highway via US 75 to Tulsa.

Paris is served by two taxicab companies. Cox Field provides general aviation services.

Notable people

Notes

  1. ^ Note: the US Census treats Hispanic/Latino as an ethnic category. This table excludes Latinos from the racial categories and assigns them to a separate category. Hispanics/Latinos can be of any race.[29][30]

References

  1. ^ "2019 U.S. Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved August 7, 2020.
  2. ^ "US Board on Geographic Names". United States Geological Survey. October 25, 2007. Retrieved January 31, 2008.
  3. ^ a b "2020 Race and Population Totals". data.census.gov. Retrieved April 24, 2022.
  4. ^ John Sayles; Henry Sales (1889). Revised Civil Statutes and Laws Passed by the 16th, 17th, 18th, 19th, & 20th Legislatures of the State of Texas. Vol. 1. Gilbert Book Company. p. 281. Retrieved January 7, 2018.
  5. ^ "Texas Almanac: Secession and the Civil War". Texas State Historical Association. Retrieved January 7, 2017.
  6. ^ Tx State Historical Commission (1978). "The Paris Fire of 1916 – Texas State Historical Marker".
  7. ^ a b Campbell Roberts (February 10, 2015). "History of Lynchings in the South Documents Nearly 4,000 Names". The New York Times. Retrieved August 19, 2016.
  8. ^ "Largent v. State of Tex". U.S. Supreme Court. Retrieved January 7, 2018 – via FindLaw.
  9. ^ Gretel C. Kovach; Ariel Campo–Flores (July 27, 2009). "The turbulent racial history of Paris, Texas". Newsweek, via Anderson Cooper 360°. CNN. Retrieved May 1, 2015.
  10. ^ Howard Witt (March 12, 2007). "To some in Paris, sinister past is back". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved May 1, 2015.
  11. ^ Howard Witt (February 1, 2009). "Paris, Texas, race relations dialogue turns into dispute". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved May 1, 2015.
  12. ^ Minutaglio, Bill (2021). A Single Star and Bloody Knuckles: A History of Politics and Race in Texas. University of Texas Press. pp. 48–51. ISBN 9781477310366.
  13. ^ "Man Acquitted of Murder". Fort Worth Star-Telegram. January 14, 1922. p. 7. ISSN 0889-0013. OCLC 60616134. Retrieved July 23, 2020."Texas Mob Burns Negroes At Stake". New Britain Herald. New Britain, Connecticut: Herald Pub. Co. July 7, 1920. pp. 1–12. ISSN 2643-4954. OCLC 8783515. Retrieved July 7, 2020 – via Chronicling America."Mob of Texans Burns Negroes". Bisbee Daily Review. Bisbee, Arizona: W.B. Kelly. July 7, 1920. pp. 1–8. ISSN 2157-3255. OCLC 11363144. Retrieved July 7, 2020 – via Chronicling America.
  14. ^ "Officer of the Law Assaults Innocent Girls" (PDF). New York Age. New York City. September 4, 1920. OCLC 9274417. Retrieved July 15, 2020.
  15. ^ Jeff Carlton (August 21, 2009). "Riot Police Storm Texas Town After Black, White Protesters Clash Over Dragging Death". Huffington Post. Retrieved May 3, 2015.
  16. ^ Howard Witt (February 25, 2009). "Racism bedevils Texas town". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved May 5, 2015.
  17. ^ Howard Witt (March 31, 2007). "Girl in prison for shove gets released early". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved May 5, 2015.
  18. ^ Alejandra Cancino (February 10, 2015). "Sara Lee discriminated against black employees, attorneys say". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved May 3, 2015.
  19. ^ "Workers Targets of Racist Behavior at Sara Lee Plant: EEOC". NBC Channel 5 Dallas–Fort Worth. February 10, 2015. Retrieved May 3, 2015.
  20. ^ Boyd, Matthew. . Archived from the original on October 27, 2016. Retrieved October 27, 2016.
  21. ^ a b "NOAA Online Weather Data – NWS Dallas/Fort Worth". National Weather Service. Retrieved February 5, 2023.
  22. ^ "U.S. Climate Normals Quick Access – Station: Paris, TX (1991–2020)". National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Retrieved February 5, 2023.
  23. ^ "U.S. Climate Normals Quick Access – Station: Paris, TX (1981–2010)". National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Retrieved February 5, 2023.
  24. ^ "PARIS". Texas Almanac. November 22, 2010. Retrieved August 26, 2013.
  25. ^ a b "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved January 31, 2008.
  26. ^ "2020 ACS 5-Year Selected Social Characteristics". data.census.gov. Retrieved April 24, 2022.
  27. ^ "2020 ACS 5-Year Households and Families Estimates". data.census.gov. Retrieved April 24, 2022.
  28. ^ "Explore Census Data". data.census.gov. Retrieved May 22, 2022.
  29. ^ https://www.census.gov/ December 27, 1996, at the Wayback Machine[not specific enough to verify]
  30. ^ "About the Hispanic Population and its Origin". www.census.gov. Retrieved May 18, 2022.
  31. ^ Frey, William H. (July 1, 2020). "The nation is diversifying even faster than predicted, according to new census data". Brookings. Retrieved May 22, 2022.
  32. ^ Bureau, US Census. "The Chance That Two People Chosen at Random Are of Different Race or Ethnicity Groups Has Increased Since 2010". Census.gov. Retrieved May 22, 2022.
  33. ^ "Major employers". parisedc.com. Retrieved April 17, 2017.
  34. ^ (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on June 2, 2016. Retrieved May 12, 2016.
  35. ^ Tx State Historical Commission (1984). "Scott Mansion – Texas State Historical Marker".
  36. ^ Parole Division Region I September 28, 2011, at the Wayback Machine of the Texas Department of Criminal Justice.
  37. ^ Post Office Location – Paris May 7, 2010, at the Wayback Machine
  38. ^ "Paris Public Library - Paris". www.paristexas.gov.
  39. ^ "Union Station - Paris, Texas - Train Stations/Depots on Waymarking.com". www.waymarking.com.

External links

  • City of Paris

Coordinates: 33°39′45″N 95°32′52″W / 33.662508°N 95.547692°W / 33.662508; -95.547692

paris, texas, this, article, about, city, northeast, texas, film, film, other, uses, disambiguation, paris, city, county, seat, lamar, county, texas, united, states, located, northeast, texas, western, edge, piney, woods, population, city, 2020, cityhistoric, . This article is about the city in Northeast Texas For the film see Paris Texas film For other uses see Paris Texas disambiguation Paris is a city and county seat of Lamar County Texas United States Located in Northeast Texas at the western edge of the Piney Woods the population of the city was 24 171 in 2020 3 Paris TexasCityHistoric Downtown ParisMotto Smile Location of Lamar CountyCoordinates 33 39 45 N 95 32 52 W 33 66250 N 95 54778 W 33 66250 95 54778CountryUnited StatesStateTexasCountyLamarGovernment City CouncilReginald Hughes Shatara Moore Gary Savage Minor Pankaj Linda Knox Clayton Pilgrim Paula Portugal Mayor City ManagerGrayson PathArea 1 Total37 07 sq mi 96 00 km2 Land35 19 sq mi 91 14 km2 Water1 88 sq mi 4 86 km2 Elevation600 ft 183 m Population 2020 Total24 171 Density650 sq mi 250 km2 DemonymParisiteTime zoneUTC 6 Central CST Summer DST UTC 5 CDT ZIP codes75460 75462Area code903 430FIPS code48 55080GNIS feature ID1364810 2 Websiteparistexas gov Contents 1 History 1 1 Race relations 2 Geography 2 1 Climate 3 Demographics 4 Economy 5 Arts and culture 6 Government 7 Education 8 Infrastructure 8 1 Transportation 8 1 1 Major highways 9 Notable people 10 Notes 11 References 12 External linksHistory EditSee also Brenda CherryPresent day Lamar County was part of Red River County during the Republic of Texas By 1840 population growth necessitated the organization of a new county George Washington Wright who had served in the Third Congress of the Republic of Texas as a representative from Red River County was a major proponent of the new county The Fifth Congress established the new county on December 17 1840 and named it after Mirabeau B Lamar 4 who was the first Vice President and the second President of the Republic of Texas Map of the city in 1885 Lamar County was one of the 18 Texas counties that voted against secession on February 23 1861 5 In 1877 1896 and 1916 major fires in the city forced considerable rebuilding The 1916 fire destroyed almost half the town and caused an estimated 11 million in property damage The fire ruined most of the central business district and swept through a residential area The burned structures included the Federal Building and Post Office the Lamar County Courthouse and Jail City Hall most commercial buildings and several churches 6 In 1893 black teenager Henry Smith was accused of murder tortured and then burned to death on a scaffold in front of thousands of spectators in Paris 7 In 1920 two black brothers from the Arthur family were tied to a flagpole and burned to death at the Paris fairgrounds The city has prominent memorials to the Confederacy 7 In 1943 the U S Supreme Court in Largent v Texas struck down a Paris ordinance that prohibited a person from selling or distributing religious publications without first obtaining a city issued permit The Court ruled that the ordinance abridged freedom of religion freedom of speech and freedom of the press in violation of the Fourteenth Amendment 8 Following a tradition of American cities named Paris named after France s capital the city commissioned a 65 foot tall 20 m replica of the Eiffel Tower in 1993 and installed it on site of the Love Civic Center southeast of the town square In 1998 presumably as a response to the 1993 construction of a 60 foot tall 18 m tower in Paris Tennessee the city placed a giant red cowboy hat atop its tower The current Eiffel Tower replica is at least the second one an earlier replica constructed of wood was destroyed by a tornado Race relations Edit Lynching of Henry Smith Paris Fairgrounds 1893 Race relations in Paris were described by Newsweek as turbulent and sometimes explosive 9 In the late 19th and early 20th centuries several lynchings of African Americans were staged at the Paris Fairgrounds 10 11 A black teenager Henry Smith lynched in 1893 was the first in US history captured in photographs 12 Other lynchings included Irving and Herman Arthur in 1920 13 14 Local resident and activist Brenda Cherry speaking at the rally for Brandon McClelland 2009 In 2008 an African American man Brandon McClelland was run over and dragged to death by two white men who were not prosecuted due to lack of evidence A rally over the death in 2009 had groups shouting white power and black power 15 Other incidents included sentencing disparities between black and white juveniles racist flags and graffiti school discipline disparities 16 17 and racist labor practices 18 19 Geography EditAccording to the U S Census Bureau the city has a total area of 44 4 square miles 115 km2 of which 42 8 square miles 111 km2 are land and 1 7 square miles 4 4 km2 3 74 are covered by water Paris has a humid subtropical climate Cfa in the Koppen climate classification It is located in Tornado Alley an area largely centered in the middle of the United States in which tornadoes occur frequently because of weather patterns and geography Paris is in USDA plant hardiness zone 8a for winter temperatures This is cooler than its southern neighbor Dallas and while similar to Atlanta Georgia it has warmer summertime temperatures Summertime average highs reach 94 F 34 C and 95 F 35 C in July and August with associated lows of 72 F 22 C and 71 F 22 C Winter temperatures drop to an average high of 51 F 11 C and low of 30 F 1 C in January The highest temperature on record was 115 F 46 C set in August 1936 and the record low was 5 F 21 C set in 1930 Average precipitation is 47 82 in 1 215 mm Snow is not unusual but is by no means predictable and years can pass with no snowfall at all On April 2 1982 Paris was hit by an F4 tornado that destroyed more than 1 500 homes and left 10 people dead 170 injured and 3 000 homeless The damage toll from this tornado was estimated at US 50 million in 1982 20 Climate Edit According to the Koppen Climate Classification system Paris has a humid subtropical climate abbreviated Cfa on climate maps The hottest temperature recorded in Paris was 115 F 46 1 C on August 1936 while the coldest temperature recorded was 5 F 20 6 C on January 1930 21 Climate data for Paris Texas 1991 2020 normals extremes 1896 presentMonth Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec YearRecord high F C 90 32 90 32 94 34 96 36 100 38 108 42 111 44 115 46 112 44 99 37 94 34 87 31 115 46 Mean maximum F C 73 9 23 3 77 8 25 4 83 9 28 8 87 5 30 8 93 0 33 9 98 1 36 7 102 5 39 2 103 5 39 7 99 2 37 3 91 8 33 2 82 3 27 9 74 9 23 8 104 7 40 4 Average high F C 53 5 11 9 58 5 14 7 66 5 19 2 75 0 23 9 82 7 28 2 91 2 32 9 95 8 35 4 96 2 35 7 88 7 31 5 78 2 25 7 65 2 18 4 55 8 13 2 75 6 24 2 Daily mean F C 43 4 6 3 47 8 8 8 55 7 13 2 63 9 17 7 72 7 22 6 81 1 27 3 85 3 29 6 85 1 29 5 77 6 25 3 66 4 19 1 54 6 12 6 45 8 7 7 65 0 18 3 Average low F C 33 2 0 7 37 0 2 8 44 9 7 2 52 8 11 6 62 7 17 1 71 0 21 7 74 8 23 8 74 1 23 4 66 5 19 2 54 7 12 6 44 0 6 7 35 8 2 1 54 3 12 4 Mean minimum F C 18 0 7 8 21 9 5 6 27 5 2 5 37 3 2 9 47 4 8 6 60 6 15 9 66 5 19 2 65 6 18 7 52 4 11 3 38 3 3 5 28 1 2 2 21 6 5 8 14 4 9 8 Record low F C 5 21 4 20 7 14 25 4 30 1 46 8 57 14 53 12 34 1 19 7 15 9 0 18 5 21 Average precipitation inches mm 3 08 78 3 34 85 4 35 110 4 71 120 5 63 143 4 26 108 3 51 89 2 95 75 3 95 100 4 62 117 4 21 107 4 28 109 48 89 1 241 Average snowfall inches cm 0 4 1 0 0 1 0 25 trace 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 trace 0 4 1 0 0 9 2 25 Average precipitation days 0 01 in 8 8 9 1 9 5 9 0 9 9 7 7 6 3 5 4 6 5 7 5 7 4 8 3 95 4Average snowy days 0 1 in 0 3 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 3 0 7Source 1 NOAA snow snow days 1981 2010 22 23 Source 2 National Weather Service 21 Demographics EditHistorical population CensusPop Note 18803 980 18908 254107 4 19009 35813 4 191011 26920 4 192015 04033 5 193015 6494 0 194018 67819 4 195021 64315 9 196020 977 3 1 197023 44111 7 198025 4988 8 199024 799 2 7 200025 8984 4 201025 171 2 8 202024 171 4 0 Texas Almanac 24 From a 1880 United States census population of 3 980 the population of the city of Paris increased to 25 898 at the 2000 census in 2020 however its population declined to 24 171 3 In 2010 25 171 people 10 306 households and 6 426 families resided in the city 25 The population density was 588 1 people per square mile 227 4 km2 the 11 883 housing units averaged 277 6 per square mile 107 3 km2 of all households were made up of individuals and 15 2 had someone living alone who was 65 or older The average household size was 2 38 and the average family size was 3 01 In the city the population was distributed as 25 0 under 18 10 6 from 18 to 24 24 1 from 25 to 44 23 8 from 45 to 64 and 16 6 who were 65 or older The median age was 37 1 years For every 100 females there were 87 3 males For every 100 females 18 and over there were 82 9 males By 2020 the city had 10 522 households according to the American Community Survey and 3 549 were married couple households 26 The average household size was 2 29 and the average family size was 2 99 Of its 2020 population 933 were foreign born nationals 18 9 of whom were naturalized U S citizens As of the census estimates 49 6 of housing units were owner occupied and 50 4 were renter occupied 27 Paris racial composition as of 2020 28 NH Non Hispanic a Race Number PercentageWhite NH 13 853 56 6 Black or African American NH 5 643 23 06 Native American or Alaska Native NH 331 1 35 Asian NH 347 1 42 Pacific Islander NH 19 0 08 Some other race NH 57 0 23 Mixed multiracial NH 1 318 5 38 Hispanic or Latino 2 908 11 88 Total 24 476In 2010 according to the U S Census Bureau the racial makeup of the city was 70 3 White 24 8 Black and African American 3 1 American Indian and Alaska Native 1 1 Asian and 4 1 from other races Hispanics or Latinos of any race were 8 2 of the population 25 In 2020 its racial and ethnic makeup was 56 6 non Hispanic White 23 06 Black and African American 1 35 Native American 1 42 Asian 0 08 Pacific Islander 0 23 some other race 5 38 multiracial and 11 88 Hispanic or Latino of any race reflecting demographic trends of greater diversification 31 32 Economy EditIn the past Paris was a major cotton exchange and the county was developed as cotton plantations While cotton is still farmed on the lands around Paris it is no longer a major part of the economy Paris one major hospital has two campuses Paris Regional Medical Center South formerly St Joseph s Hospital and Paris Regional Medical Center North formerly McCuistion Regional Medical Center It serves as the center of healthcare for much of Northeast Texas and Southeast Oklahoma Both campuses are now operated jointly under the name of the Paris Regional Medical Center a division of Essent Healthcare Paris Regional Medical Center South Campus has recently closed and only the North Campus remains open The health network is one of the largest employers in the Paris area 33 Outside of healthcare the largest employers are Kimberly Clark and Campbell Soup Employer of employees1 Essent PRMC 10002 Campbell Soup 9003 Kimberly Clark 8004 Turner Industries 7005 Paris ISD 640T 6 North Lamar ISD 500T 6 Walmart 5008 TCIM 4809 City of Paris 32010 We Pack Logistics 300 34 Note PRMC is Paris Regional Medical Center Arts and culture Edit The Culbertson Fountain The 65 foot Paris Eiffel Tower with the red cowboy hat at its summitThe city is home to several late 19th to mid 20th century stately homes Among these is the Rufus Fenner Scott Mansion designed by German architect J L Wees and constructed in 1910 The structure is solid concrete and steel with four floors Rufus Scott was a prominent businessman known for shipping imports and banking He was well known by local farmers who bought aging transport mules from him The Scott Mansion narrowly survived the fire of 1916 After the fire Scott brought the architect Wees back to Paris to redesign the historic downtown area 35 Pat Mayse Lake Beaver s Bend Resort Park Oklahoma Evergreen Cemetery Located on the south side of town there are over 50 000 people interred This is the site of a noted 12 foot 3 7 m tall Jesus with cowboy boots statue and grave marker of Willet Babcock as well as the resting place of banker philanthropist William J McDonald Confederate General U S Senator Sam Bell Maxey rancher Pitts Chisum and cotton magnate John J Culbertson Pitts Chisum s more famous brother John Chisum is also buried in the city Sam Bell Maxey House Maxey was a Confederate general and 2 time US Senator Paris Eiffel Tower On October 4 1955 early in his career Elvis Presley performed at the Boys Club Gymnasium at 1530 1st Street Northeast in Paris as a member of the Louisiana Hayride Jamboree tour Lamar County Historical MuseumGovernment Edit City Hall in July 2015 Paris is governed by a city council as specified in the city s charter adopted in 1948 Paris is represented in the Texas Senate by Republican Bryan Hughes District 1 and in the Texas House of Representatives by Republican Gary VanDeaver District 1 The Texas Department of Criminal Justice operates the Paris District Parole Office 36 At the federal level the two U S senators from Texas are Republicans John Cornyn and Ted Cruz Paris is part of Texas s 4th congressional district represented by Republican Pat Fallon The United States Postal Service operates the Paris Post Office 37 Education Edit Paris Public Library in July 2015 Elementary and secondary education is split among three main school districts Paris Independent School District North Lamar Independent School District Chisum Independent School DistrictPrairiland ISD also serves a small portion of the town along with Blossom ISD In addition Paris Junior College provides postsecondary education It hosts the Texas Institute of Jewelry Technology a well respected school according to whom of gemology horology and jewelry The Industrial Technology Division offers programs in air conditioning technology refrigeration technology agricultural technology drafting and computer aided design electronics electromechanical technology and welding technology Texas A amp M University Commerce a major university of over 12 000 students is located in the neighboring city of Commerce 40 miles southwest of Paris The Paris Public Library serves Paris as does the Lamar County Genealogical Society Library 38 Infrastructure EditTransportation Edit Historic Paris train stationParis has long been a railroad center The Texas and Pacific reached town in 1876 the Gulf Colorado and Santa Fe Railway later merged into the Atchison Topeka and Santa Fe Railway and the Frisco in 1887 the Texas Midland Railroad later Southern Pacific in 1894 and the Paris and Mount Pleasant Pa Ma Line in 1910 Paris Union Station built 1912 served Frisco Santa Fe and Texas Midland passenger trains until 1956 Today the station is used by the Lamar County Chamber of Commerce and serves as the research library for the Lamar County Genealogical Society 39 Major highways Edit U S Highway 82 U S Highway 271 State Highway 19 State Highway 24 State Highway Loop 286According to the Texas Transportation Commission Paris is the second largest city in Texas without a four lane divided highway connecting to an interstate highway within the state However those traveling north of the city can go into the Midwest on a four lane thoroughfare via US 271 across the Red River into Oklahoma and then the Indian Nation Turnpike from Hugo to Interstate 40 at Henryetta which in turn continues as a free four lane highway via US 75 to Tulsa Paris is served by two taxicab companies Cox Field provides general aviation services Notable people EditDuane Allen member of the Oak Ridge Boys Tia Ballard actress for Funimation Entertainment Charles Baxter physician attended President Kennedy after he was fatally shot Raymond Berry professional football Hall of Famer Tyler Bryant blues rock guitarist John Chisum cattle baron Gary B B Coleman soul blues guitarist singer songwriter and record producer Marsha Farney Republican member of the Texas House of Representatives from Williamson County reared in Paris graduated from Paris Junior College and taught school in Paris in 1990s Bobby Jack Floyd National Football League NFL fullback Charles R Floyd three term Democratic state senator pioneer of the Texas farm to market road system and an original founder of Paris Junior College Cas Haley singer musician NBC s season two of America s Got Talent runner up Al Haynes commercial airline pilot captain during the United Airlines Flight 232 crash William Henry Huddle Texas Capitol artist Charlie Jackson NFL football player Frank Jackson NFL football player Frank James outlaw and brother of Jesse James General John P Jumper Chief of Staff of the United States Air Force from 2001 to 2005 Robert Matteson Johnston Harvard Professor historian of Napoleon and France Richard Gordon Kendall 1933 2008 self taught outsider folk artist Beverly Leech actress portrayed Kate Monday on Mathnet Samuel Bell Maxey United States Senator and Confederate Major General Gordon McLendon pioneer radio broadcaster and founder of the Liberty Broadcasting System Jay Hunter Morris operatic tenor John Morris actor Robert Nelson 1920 1985 NFL professional football player John Osteen pastor Dave Philley professional baseball player and holder of five MLB records Bass Reeves the first black deputy U S marshal to serve west of the Mississippi River was based in Paris for four years in the late 19th century Admiral James O Richardson United States Navy Fleet Commander 1940 1941 Eddie Robinson professional baseball player four time All Star and Texas Rangers executive Augusta Rucker medical doctor zoologist public health lecturer Jack Russell professional baseball player and first relief pitcher selected to a Major League Baseball All Star Game Leslie Satcher country music recording artist William Scott Scudder Major League Baseball pitcher Gene Stallings Alabama head coach 1990 1996 Steven H Tallant president of Texas A amp M University Kingsville Starke Taylor mayor of Dallas and businessman Shangela Laquifa Wadley comedian reality television personality and drag performerNotes Edit Note the US Census treats Hispanic Latino as an ethnic category This table excludes Latinos from the racial categories and assigns them to a separate category Hispanics Latinos can be of any race 29 30 References Edit 2019 U S Gazetteer Files United States Census Bureau Retrieved August 7 2020 US Board on Geographic Names United States Geological Survey October 25 2007 Retrieved January 31 2008 a b 2020 Race and Population Totals data census gov Retrieved April 24 2022 John Sayles Henry Sales 1889 Revised Civil Statutes and Laws Passed by the 16th 17th 18th 19th amp 20th Legislatures of the State of Texas Vol 1 Gilbert Book Company p 281 Retrieved January 7 2018 Texas Almanac Secession and the Civil War Texas State Historical Association Retrieved January 7 2017 Tx State Historical Commission 1978 The Paris Fire of 1916 Texas State Historical Marker a b Campbell Roberts February 10 2015 History of Lynchings in the South Documents Nearly 4 000 Names The New York Times Retrieved August 19 2016 Largent v State of Tex U S Supreme Court Retrieved January 7 2018 via FindLaw Gretel C Kovach Ariel Campo Flores July 27 2009 The turbulent racial history of Paris Texas Newsweek via Anderson Cooper 360 CNN Retrieved May 1 2015 Howard Witt March 12 2007 To some in Paris sinister past is back Chicago Tribune Retrieved May 1 2015 Howard Witt February 1 2009 Paris Texas race relations dialogue turns into dispute Chicago Tribune Retrieved May 1 2015 Minutaglio Bill 2021 A Single Star and Bloody Knuckles A History of Politics and Race in Texas University of Texas Press pp 48 51 ISBN 9781477310366 Man Acquitted of Murder Fort Worth Star Telegram January 14 1922 p 7 ISSN 0889 0013 OCLC 60616134 Retrieved July 23 2020 Texas Mob Burns Negroes At Stake New Britain Herald New Britain Connecticut Herald Pub Co July 7 1920 pp 1 12 ISSN 2643 4954 OCLC 8783515 Retrieved July 7 2020 via Chronicling America Mob of Texans Burns Negroes Bisbee Daily Review Bisbee Arizona W B Kelly July 7 1920 pp 1 8 ISSN 2157 3255 OCLC 11363144 Retrieved July 7 2020 via Chronicling America Officer of the Law Assaults Innocent Girls PDF New York Age New York City September 4 1920 OCLC 9274417 Retrieved July 15 2020 Jeff Carlton August 21 2009 Riot Police Storm Texas Town After Black White Protesters Clash Over Dragging Death Huffington Post Retrieved May 3 2015 Howard Witt February 25 2009 Racism bedevils Texas town Chicago Tribune Retrieved May 5 2015 Howard Witt March 31 2007 Girl in prison for shove gets released early Chicago Tribune Retrieved May 5 2015 Alejandra Cancino February 10 2015 Sara Lee discriminated against black employees attorneys say Chicago Tribune Retrieved May 3 2015 Workers Targets of Racist Behavior at Sara Lee Plant EEOC NBC Channel 5 Dallas Fort Worth February 10 2015 Retrieved May 3 2015 Boyd Matthew Paris officers remember deadly tornado of 1982 Archived from the original on October 27 2016 Retrieved October 27 2016 a b NOAA Online Weather Data NWS Dallas Fort Worth National Weather Service Retrieved February 5 2023 U S Climate Normals Quick Access Station Paris TX 1991 2020 National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Retrieved February 5 2023 U S Climate Normals Quick Access Station Paris TX 1981 2010 National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Retrieved February 5 2023 PARIS Texas Almanac November 22 2010 Retrieved August 26 2013 a b U S Census website United States Census Bureau Retrieved January 31 2008 2020 ACS 5 Year Selected Social Characteristics data census gov Retrieved April 24 2022 2020 ACS 5 Year Households and Families Estimates data census gov Retrieved April 24 2022 Explore Census Data data census gov Retrieved May 22 2022 https www census gov Archived December 27 1996 at the Wayback Machine not specific enough to verify About the Hispanic Population and its Origin www census gov Retrieved May 18 2022 Frey William H July 1 2020 The nation is diversifying even faster than predicted according to new census data Brookings Retrieved May 22 2022 Bureau US Census The Chance That Two People Chosen at Random Are of Different Race or Ethnicity Groups Has Increased Since 2010 Census gov Retrieved May 22 2022 Major employers parisedc com Retrieved April 17 2017 Comprehensive Annual Financial report for City of Paris Texas PDF Archived from the original PDF on June 2 2016 Retrieved May 12 2016 Tx State Historical Commission 1984 Scott Mansion Texas State Historical Marker Parole Division Region I Archived September 28 2011 at the Wayback Machine of the Texas Department of Criminal Justice Post Office Location Paris Archived May 7 2010 at the Wayback Machine Paris Public Library Paris www paristexas gov Union Station Paris Texas Train Stations Depots on Waymarking com www waymarking com External links Edit Wikimedia Commons has media related to Paris Texas Texas portal Wikisource has original text related to this article Paris Texas City of ParisCoordinates 33 39 45 N 95 32 52 W 33 662508 N 95 547692 W 33 662508 95 547692 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Paris Texas amp oldid 1145530189, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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