Paris, Tennessee

Paris, Tennessee
City


Location of Paris in Henry County, Tennessee.
Coordinates: 36°18′4″N 88°18′50″W / 36.30111°N 88.31389°W / 36.30111; -88.31389Coordinates: 36°18′4″N 88°18′50″W / 36.30111°N 88.31389°W / 36.30111; -88.31389
Country United States
State Tennessee
County Henry
Incorporated 1823
Named for Paris, France[1]
Area
 • Total 10.9 sq mi (28.3 km2)
 • Land 10.9 sq mi (28.2 km2)
 • Water 0.0 sq mi (0.1 km2)
Elevation 515 ft (157 m)
Population (2010)
 • Total 10,156
 • Estimate (2016)[2] 10,192
 • Density 897.4/sq mi (346.5/km2)
Time zone Central (CST) (UTC-6)
 • Summer (DST) CDT (UTC-5)
ZIP code 38242
Area code(s) 731
FIPS code 47-56720[3]
GNIS feature ID 1296772[4]
Website Official website

Paris is a city in Henry County, Tennessee, 86 miles (138 km) northwest of Nashville, on a fork of the West Sandy River and the Tennessee River. As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 10,156. It is the county seat of Henry County.[5]

A 70-foot replica of the Eiffel Tower stands in Paris.[6] Paris hosts what it claims as the "World's Biggest Fish Fry".

History

The present site of Paris was selected by five European-American commissioners appointed to the task of choosing a county seat at the December 1822 session of the Court of Pleas and Quarter Sessions of Henry County. Their choice was fifty acres, 37 and one half of which were owned by Joseph Blythe and 12 and one half owned by Peter Ruff; both men donated the land to the county to have the seat there. A public square, streets, alleys and 104 lots were laid off, and the lots were sold at auction over a two-day period in either March or April 1823.[7]

Paris was incorporated on September 30, 1823. It was the first town incorporated in West Tennessee, followed by Lexington on October 9, 1824, and Memphis on December 19, 1826.[7][8][9] The city was named after Paris, France, in honor of the Marquis de Lafayette.[1]

Between about 1970 and 1990 Paris was the center of the Old Beachy Amish, as traditional-minded Beachy Amish from different regions moved there. Because of internal conflicts most Old Beachy Amish left the region in the early 1990s and had completely vacated it by the year 2000.[10]

Geography

Paris is located at 36°18′4″N 88°18′50″W / 36.30111°N 88.31389°W / 36.30111; -88.31389 (36.301229, -88.313815).[11]

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 10.9 square miles (28 km2), of which 10.9 square miles (28 km2) is land and 0.04-square-mile (0.10 km2) is water. The total area is 0.37% water.

Demographics

Historical population
Census Pop. %±
18801,767—
18901,9178.5%
19002,0185.3%
19103,88192.3%
19204,73021.9%
19308,16472.6%
19406,395−21.7%
19508,82638.0%
19609,3255.7%
19709,8926.1%
198010,7288.5%
19909,332−13.0%
20009,7634.6%
201010,1564.0%
Est. 201610,192[2]0.4%
Sources:[12][13]

As of the census[3] of 2010, there were 10,156 people, 4,394 households, and 2,605 families residing in the city. The population density was 897.4 people per square mile (346.5/km²). There were 4,965 housing units at an average density of 456.4 per square mile (176.2/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 76.99% White, 19.25% African American, 0.34% Native American, 0.64% Asian, 0.01% Pacific Islander, 0.42% from other races, and 2.34% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.63% of the population.

There were 4,394 households out of which 24.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 38.5% were married couples living together, 16.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 40.7% were non-families. 36.8% of all households were made up of individuals and 19.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.14 and the average family size was 2.77.

In the city, the population was spread out with 22.94% under the age of 18, 55.89% from 18 to 64, and 21.7% who were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 81.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 77.1 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $25,261, and the median income for a family was $32,258. Males had a median income of $27,759 versus $20,198 for females. The per capita income for the city was $15,572. About 14.1% of families and 19.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 26.6% of those under age 18 and 20.5% of those age 65 or over.

Industry

Local companies manufacture brakes, small electric motors, aftermarket auto parts, metal doors, rubber parts and school laboratory furniture.[14]

Culture

The text of the sign beneath the catfish statue reads Welcome to Paris, Tennessee.

Eiffel Tower

Constructed by students at Christian Brothers University in the early 1990s, the Eiffel Tower was installed in Eiffel Tower Park. The original 65-foot wooden tower was later replaced with a 70-foot metal structure. The tower is a 70-foot tall scale model of the Eiffel Tower in Paris, France.[15]

Eiffel Tower Park provides tennis courts, a public Olympic-sized swimming pool, soccer fields, two walking trails, a children's playground with pavilions, and a newly constructed frisbee golf course.

World's Biggest Fish Fry

Paris is home of the "World's Biggest Fish Fry". The festival is held every year and culminates on a weekend, on the last full week in April. This period is celebrated with a parade, an art and craft fair, a rodeo and a fun fair. Part of the festivities include the "catfish races."

Travelers on U.S. Route 79 from the south encounter a sign featuring a 20-foot (6.1 m)-long catfish to mark this important local resource.

As Kentucky Lake is only a 20-minute drive from downtown, fishing is a popular activity around the Williams Lake and Paris Landing area.

Arts

Paris is known for its support of the arts. Many large events of musical nature take place in the city's auditorium, the Krider Performing Arts Center. Known as "KPAC", the building is attached to the city's public elementary school, Paris Elementary.

Notable people

Paris/Henry County media

Radio stations
Newspapers

References

  1. 1 2 History of Paris/Henry Co., Paris-Henry County Chamber of Commerce. Retrieved: 24 January 2013.
  2. 1 2 "Population and Housing Unit Estimates". Retrieved June 9, 2017.
  3. 1 2 "American FactFinder". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved 2008-01-31.
  4. ↑ "US Board on Geographic Names". United States Geological Survey. 2007-10-25. Retrieved 2008-01-31.
  5. ↑ "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Retrieved 2011-06-07.
  6. ↑ http://www.paristnchamber.com/eiffeltower.htm Paris, TN Chamber of Commerce. Retrieved on 2008-02-17.
  7. 1 2 Johnson, E. McLeod (1958). A History of Henry County Tennessee, Volume 1.
  8. ↑ "The Goodspeed Publishing Co., History of Tennessee, 1886 History of Henderson County". Retrieved 29 July 2011.
  9. ↑ "Memphis History and Facts". Retrieved 29 July 2011.
  10. ↑ Midwest Beachy Amish Mennonite Church at Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online
  11. ↑ "US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990". United States Census Bureau. 2011-02-12. Retrieved 2011-04-23.
  12. ↑ "Census of Population and Housing: Decennial Censuses". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved 2012-03-04.
  13. ↑ "Incorporated Places and Minor Civil Divisions Datasets: Subcounty Resident Population Estimates: April 1, 2010 to July 1, 2012". Population Estimates. U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved 11 December 2013.
  14. ↑ http://www.paristnchamber.com/industry.htm Paris, TN Chamber of Commerce. Retrieved on 2008-02-17.
  15. ↑ "Eiffel Tower". Paris-Henry County Chamber of Commerce. Retrieved 2008-03-28.
  16. ↑ "ATKINS, John DeWitt Clinton, (1825 - 1908)". Retrieved 2 June 2012.
  17. ↑ "Buchanan, John Hall, Jr.". Retrieved 25 August 2012.
  18. ↑ "Crockett, John Wesley". Retrieved 21 August 2012.
  19. 1 2 3 "Henry County". Retrieved 21 August 2012.
  20. ↑ "Rattlesnake Annie". Retrieved 21 August 2012.
  21. ↑ "Dr. Edwin Wiley Grove". Retrieved 27 July 2011.
  22. ↑ "Isham Green Harris". Retrieved 17 August 2012.
  23. ↑ "JACKSON, Howell Edmunds, (1832 - 1895)". Retrieved 3/8/11. Check date values in: |access-date= (help)
  24. ↑ "Howell E. Jackson, 1893-1895". Retrieved 21 August 2012.
  25. ↑ Lamb, Yvonne (25 May 2004). "Vernon Jarrett, 84; Journalist, Crusader". Washington Post. Retrieved 27 July 2011.
  26. ↑ "Bobby Jone Radio Show". Retrieved 27 July 2011.
  27. ↑ "Cherry Jones". Retrieved 22 August 2012.
  28. ↑ "Merle Kilgore". Retrieved 21 August 2012.
  29. ↑ "About Chick King". Retrieved 27 July 2011.
  30. ↑ "Tennessee Governor James Davis Porter". Retrieved 27 July 2011.
  31. ↑ "James Davis Porter". Retrieved 21 August 2012.
  32. ↑ "Tennessee Governor Thomas Clarke Rye". Retrieved 2 June 2012.
  33. ↑ "Tarrant, Edward H.". Retrieved 17 August 2012.
  34. ↑ "STEPHEN M. VEAZEY". Retrieved 27 July 2011.
  35. ↑ Tamara Saviano (2010-04-09). "Hank Williams Jr.: Son of a Gun! (1997)". Country Weekly. Retrieved 2013-12-03.
  36. ↑ "Zollicoffer, Felix Kirk". Retrieved 17 August 2012.
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