| Paris, Texas | |
|---|---|
| — City — | |
| part of historic downtown Paris | |
| Location of Lamar County | |
| Coordinates: | |
| Country | United States |
| State | Texas |
| County | Lamar |
| Government | |
| • City Council | Mayor Jesse James Freelen Joe McCarthy Will Biard Kevin Kear Edwin Pickle Steve Brown Rhonda Rogers |
| • City Manager | Kevin Carruth |
| Area | |
| • Total | 44.4 sq mi (115.0 km2) |
| • Land | 42.8 sq mi (110.7 km2) |
| • Water | 1.7 sq mi (4.3 km2) |
| Elevation | 600 ft (183 m) |
| Population (2000) | |
| • Total | 25,898 |
| • Density | 605.7/sq mi (233.9/km2) |
| Time zone | Central (CST) (UTC−6) |
| • Summer (DST) | CDT (UTC−5) |
| ZIP codes | 75460-75462 |
| Area code(s) | 903 |
| FIPS code | 48-55080[1] |
| GNIS feature ID | 1364810[2] |
| Website | http://www.paristexas.gov/ |
| Historical populations | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1990 | 24,799 |
|
|
| 2000 | 25,898 | 4.4% | |
| 2010 | 25,171 | −2.8% | |
| Texas Almanac[3] | |||
Paris, Texas is a city located 98 miles (158 km) northeast of the Dallas–Fort Worth Metroplex in Lamar County, Texas, in the United States. It is situated in Northeast Texas at the western edge of the Piney Woods. Physiographically, these regions are part of the West Gulf Coastal Plain.[4] In 1900, 9,358 people lived in Paris; in 1910, 11,269; in 1920, 15,040; and in 1940, 18,678. As of the 2010 census, the population of the city was 25,171. It is the county seat of Lamar County and serves as a business and employment center for the county.
The film Paris, Texas by Wim Wenders was named after the city, but was not set there.
Local residents like the humorous slogan "Second Largest Paris in the World." Following a tradition of American cities named "Paris", a 65-foot (20 m) replica of the Eiffel Tower was constructed in 1993. In 1998, presumably as a response to the 1993 construction of a 70-foot (21 m) tower in Paris, Tennessee, the city placed a giant red cowboy hat atop the tower. The current tower is at least the second Eiffel Tower replica built in Paris; the first was constructed of wood and later destroyed by a tornado.
It is governed by a city council as specified in the city's charter adopted in 1948. It has fewer than 100 police officers, and fewer than 100 fire fighters. It is rated Risk Zone 1 for earthquake potential, the lowest rating.
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The first recorded settlement in the vicinity was in 1826, and settlements were known to be in the area as early as 1824. The town was founded by merchant George W. Wright, who donated 50 acres (200,000 m2) of land in February 1844, when the community was also designated the county seat. It was incorporated by the Congress of the Republic of Texas on February 3, 1845. Paris was on the Central National Road of the Republic of Texas, which ran from San Antonio north through Paris to cross the Red River. By the eve of the Civil War, when it had 700 residents, Paris had become a cattle and farming center. It is the site of the first municipally owned and operated abattoir in the United States. Lamar County was one of the few Texas counties that voted against secession, though many of its inhabitants later served in the Confederacy.
In 1877, 1896, and 1916, major fires forced the city to rebuild. The 1916 fire was so extensive that it destroyed almost half the town, ruining most of the central business district and sweeping through a residential area before it was finally controlled, resulting in property damages estimated at $11 million. Burned structures included the Federal Building and post office, Lamar County Courthouse and Jail, City Hall, most commercial buildings, and several churches.[5] The 1916 fire started around 5 p.m. on March 21, 1916. The exact cause of the fire is unknown. Winds estimated at 50 miles per hour fanned the flames that were visible for up to forty miles away. The fire was brought under control on the morning on March 22 by local firefighters and those from surrounding cities in Texas and Hugo, Oklahoma.
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 St. Louis - San Francisco Railway in 1887; the Texas Midland (later Southern Pacific) in 1894; and the Paris and Mount Pleasant (Pa-Ma Line) in 1910.
The city is home to several stately late 19th century to mid-20th century 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 Mr. Scott. The Scott Mansion narrowly survived the fire of 1916. After the fire, Mr. Scott brought Mr. Wees back to Paris to redesign the historic downtown area.[6] In the early 1930s, Rufus Scott died, and his home was purchased by Gene Roden, who converted the home into a funeral home. It was the first funeral home in northeast Texas to have its own chapel. The site was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1982. On April 1, 2006, Gene Roden's Sons Funeral Home was sold to Arvin Starrett and E. Casey Rose (who was managing the firm at the time) and the name was changed to Starrett-Rose Funeral Home. In March 2007, Casey Rose sold his 50 % interest in the firm to Arvin Starrett and the name became Starrett Funeral Home.
Also of note is the recently restored home of William Belford Wise. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1988, the property is an example of late Victorian Queen Anne style architecture in masonry.
Paris Junior College was established in 1924. In 1990, it was one of the oldest junior colleges in Texas; at that time the main campus had twenty buildings, including a new $1.1 million physical education center, and the college offered both technical and academic instruction. Its jewelry technologies department, now known as The Texas Institute of Jewelry Technology at Paris Junior College, is internationally recognized. The PJC Dragon's Men's basketball team won the NJCAA national championship in 2005. PJC is now constructing a new women's dormitory which is set to be ready for fall of 2010.
From 1942 to 1945, the US Army operated Camp Maxey, 10 miles (16 km) north of Paris. During World War II, Camp Maxey had an area of 36,683 Acres (14,845.08 Hectares), and billeting space for 2,022 Officers, and 42,515 Enlisted Personnel.
The camp served as an infantry-division training camp. Named in honor of Samuel Bell Maxey, it was activated on 15 July 1942 and deactivated 1 October 1945. It also served as an internment center for many German prisoners of war. Currently, Camp Maxey is maintained by a Texas Army National Guard unit,[7] who regularly conduct training exercises, although the Camp itself is garrisoned normally by a force of only 10 men. Civil Air Patrol's Texas Wing also regularly uses the camp for training events.
In June 2008, when word came that over 600 American service personnel were coming to receive training for the war in Iraq, residents of the city of Paris adopted them and made donations of everything the troops could possibly need so they might enjoy their stay in Paris before they went on to the war.
Paris, Texas was named "Best Small Town in Texas" in 1998 by Kevin Heubusch in his book The New Rating Guide to Life in America's Small Cities.
Paris, Texas declared itself to be a "geriatric" retirement community [8] in the last year promoting itself to be a place for the elderly to come to pass away. This has led to an increase in assisted care and nursing facilities. The side effect of this is that very little investment has or will occur for families that do locate there.
Paris, Texas has demolished a huge amount of housing in the last 5 or so years. Many apartment facilities have also been vacated and/or demolished. This has led to a huge loss of low priced rental property and many families have left the city, as the price of rental property has skyrocketed. One apartment complex was completely gutted by fire recently.[9] Texas municipalities have recently stopped bull dozing peoples property as there is a far reaching lawsuit taking place that could lead to huge damages on behalf of the plaintiff.[10]
Paris, Texas has undergone some business hardships in recent years with many jobs lost to the recession. Philips lighting,[11] Babcock and Wilcox, Paris Industries, Rogers Wade, Paris Feed Mill, Paris Seed Refinery, Blockbuster, Starbucks and Furrs Diner have all closed and Sara Lee have announced their closure.[12] Campbell Soup have cut back to three thermal production lines and have scaled back employment and laid off numerous maintenance staff.[13] Turner pipe are embroiled in a Federal racial employment lawsuit[14] and have reduced operations in Paris. Employers such as Kimberly Clark, Paris Regional Medical Center and other health care industries, Paris Junior College, and multiple school systems located in Paris, TX still have operations. There is new company Daisy Farms, that will add a few additional jobs.
Paris, Texas has built a new high school at a cost in excess of $56M, the cost of this is in the form of bonds to be paid for by higher taxation. The original school is still in use although there are 200 students less in the area as families have left in the city.
Paris, Texas is a semi-rural type of environment and as such there are few facilities and events for families. Dallas is the nearest large city that offers any form of entertainment. There is a walking track made from an old railway line, there are lots of churches, a community theater, a " Cinemark 8", a languishing local music scene hampered by city by-laws that shut them down at 10pm, a locally-based comedy production company of one, family fun center that opens on the weekends, and has a skating rink, miniature golf, game arcade, and new batting cages, a bowling alley, a swimming pool that is usually booked solid by the local school swim teams but is still open to the public, bingo twice a week. There is a lake 15 miles north of the city for fishing, although 40 miles south is the record holding Lake Fork (Bass fishing).
A "Diversity Task Force" [15] was created in 2008. The task force membership includes the Paris Chapter of the NAACP, the City of Paris, Lamar County Chamber of Commerce, Paris Economic Development Corporation, Workforce Solutions Northeast Texas and the Paris Ministers’ Alliance.
Recently, the Paris community also placed a bronze statue of U.S. Marshall Bass Reeves in the Lamar County Courthouse. The statue honors Reeves for his ability to escape slavery and become the first black deputy U.S. Marshal west of the Mississippi.[16]
Paris is located at (33.662508, −95.547692).[17]
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) of it is land and 1.7 square miles (4.4 km2) of it (3.74%) is water.
Paris is located in "Tornado Alley", an area largely centered on the middle of the United States which sees tornadoes frequently. Paris is in USDA plant hardiness zone 7b for winter temperatures. This is cooler than its southern neighbor Dallas, Texas, and while similar to Atlanta, Georgia, it has warmer summertime temperatures. Summertime average highs reach 94 f and 95 °F (35 °C) in July and August, with associated lows of 72 and 71. Winter temperatures drop to an average high of 51 and low of 30 in January. The highest temperature on record was 115, set in August 1936, and the record low was −5, set in 1930. Average precipitation is 47.82 inches (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, left ten people dead, 170 injured and 3,000 homeless. The damage toll from this tornado was estimated at 50 million USD in 1982.
| Climate data for Paris, Texas | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Average high °F (°C) | 51 (11) |
56 (13) |
65 (18) |
75 (24) |
82 (28) |
89 (32) |
94 (34) |
94 (34) |
87 (31) |
77 (25) |
65 (18) |
54 (12) |
74 (23) |
| Average low °F (°C) | 30 (−1) |
34 (1) |
44 (7) |
53 (12) |
61 (16) |
69 (21) |
73 (23) |
72 (22) |
65 (18) |
53 (12) |
43 (6) |
33 (1) |
52 (11) |
| Precipitation inches (mm) | 2.2 (56) |
3.2 (81) |
4.2 (107) |
4 (102) |
5.9 (150) |
3.9 (99) |
3.6 (91) |
2.7 (69) |
4.8 (122) |
4.6 (117) |
3.9 (99) |
3.3 (84) |
46.1 (1,171) |
| Source: [18] | |||||||||||||
As of the 2010 United States Census there are 25,171 people.[19] As of the census[1] of 2000, there were 25,898 people, 10,570 households, and 6,711 families residing in the city. The population density was 605.7 people per square mile (233.9/km²). There were 11,777 housing units at an average density of 275.5 per square mile (106.4/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 72.92% White, 22.26% African American, 0.95% Native American, 0.66% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 1.56% from other races, and 1.63% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 4.12% of the population.
There were 10,570 households out of which 29.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 42.7% were married couples living together, 17.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 36.5% are classified as non-families by the United States Census Bureau. Of 10,570 households, 385 are unmarried partner households: 349 heterosexual, 14 same-sex male, and 22 same-sex female households. 32.5% of all households were made up of individuals and 15.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.35 and the average family size was 2.97.
In the city the population was spread out with 25.4% under the age of 18, 10.0% from 18 to 24, 25.8% from 25 to 44, 20.9% from 45 to 64, and 18.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females there were 86.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 80.6 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $27,438, and the median income for a family was $34,916. Males had a median income of $29,378 versus $20,080 for females. The per capita income for the city was $17,137. About 16.5% of families and 20.6% of the population were below the poverty line, including 29.0% of those under age 18 and 15.9% of those age 65 or over.
In the past, Paris was a major cotton exchange, and while cotton is still farmed on the lands around Paris, it is no longer the economic force that it once was.
Paris has one major hospital split on 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 center for 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. The health network is the largest employer in the Paris area.
Outside of healthcare, the largest employers are Kimberly-Clark, and Campbell's Soup.
Paris is served by two U.S. Highways: US 82 and US 271. Other important highways with routes through Paris are State Highway 19 (co-signed with State Highway 24) and Loop 286.
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, Yellow Cab and City Cab. Cox Field provides general aviation services.
Elementary and secondary education is split between three main school districts:
In addition, Paris Junior College provides post-secondary education, and hosts the Texas Institute of Jewelry Technology, a well-respected school of gemology, horology, and jewelry, and the Industrial Technology Division which offers programs in Air Conditioning Technology, Refrigeration Technology, Agricultural Technology, Drafting and Computer-aided Design, Electronics, Electromechanical Technology, and Welding Technology.
The Paris Public Library serves Paris.[20]
Paris is represented in the Texas Senate by Republican Kevin Eltife, District 1, and in the Texas House of Representatives by Democrat Mark Homer, District 3.
The Texas Department of Criminal Justice (TDCJ) operates the Paris District Parole Office in Paris.[21]
At the Federal level, the two U.S. Senators from Texas are Republicans John Cornyn and Kay Bailey Hutchison; Paris is part of Texas' US Congressional 4th District, which is currently represented by Republican Ralph M. Hall.
The United States Postal Service operates the Paris Post Office.[22]
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