Paris, Tennessee

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

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.^[4]

A 60-foot (18 m) replica of the Eiffel Tower stands in Paris.^[5] Paris is also home of the "World's Biggest Fish Fry".

History

The present site of Paris was selected by five commissioners appointed to the task 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 of whom gifted the land. 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.^[6]

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.^[6][7][8] The city was named after Paris, France, in honor of the Marquis de Lafayette.^[1]

Downtown Paris, Tennessee

Geography

Paris is located at 36°18′4″N 88°18′50″W / 36.30111°N 88.31389°W (36.301229, -88.313815).^[9]

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.		%±
1880	1,767		—
1890	1,917		8.5%
1900	2,018		5.3%
1910	3,881		92.3%
1920	4,730		21.9%
1930	8,164		72.6%
1940	6,395		−21.7%
1950	8,826		38.0%
1960	9,325		5.7%
1970	9,892		6.1%
1980	10,728		8.5%
1990	9,332		−13.0%
2000	9,763		4.6%
2010	10,156		4.0%
Est. 2014	10,156	[10]	0.0%
Sources:[11][12]

As of the census^[2] 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.^[13]

Culture

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

Eiffel Tower

Originally constructed by Christian Brothers University in the early 1990s, the Eiffel Tower is located in Memorial Park. The original tower suffered from wood decay and was later replaced with a metal structure. The tower is a 60-foot (18 m) tall scale model of the Eiffel Tower in Paris, France.^[14]

In addition to the Eiffel Tower, Memorial 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, with a parade, an art and craft fair, a rodeo and a fun fair. Part of the festivities include the "catfish races." There is a sign which features a roughly 20-foot (6.1 m) long catfish that can be seen when entering the town from the south on U.S. Route 79. As Kentucky Lake is only a 20-minute drive from downtown, fishing is a popular activity.

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

• John DeWitt Clinton Atkins — Tennessee House of Representatives 1849-1851, Tennessee State Senate 1855-1857, U. S. House of Representatives 1857-1859 and 1873-1883, Confederate Provisional Congress August–November 1861 and November 1863, U. S. Commissioner of Indian Affairs under President Grover Cleveland 1885-1888^[15]
• John Hall Buchanan, Jr. — Representative of Alabama's 6th Congressional District, U. S. House of Representatives 1965-1981, member of the United States delegation to the United Nations 1973 and 1984, member of the United States delegation to the United Nations Human Rights Committee 1978-1980^[16]
• John Wesley Crockett — U. S. House of Representatives 1837-1841, Attorney General of the Ninth Judicial District of Tennessee 1841-1843^[17]
• Rosan "Rattlesnake Annie" Gallimore — country musician^[18][19]
• Edwin Wiley Grove — established Paris Medicine Company 1886, endowed E. W. Grove High School 1906^[20]
• Isham G. Harris — Tennessee State Senate 1847, U. S. House of Representatives 1848-1852, Tennessee governor 1857-1862, United States Senate 1877-1897, President pro tempore of the United States Senate 1893-1895^[21]
• John Hudson - professional football player, played for Super Bowl champion Baltimore Ravens in 2000, played for championship team at Auburn in college.
• Howell Edmunds Jackson — Tennessee House of Representatives 1880-1881, United States Senate 1881-1886, Judge of the Sixth Judicial Circuit 1886-1891, Judge of the Sixth Judicial Circuit Court of Appeals 1891-1893, U.S. Supreme Court Justice 1893-95^[22][23]
• Vernon Jarrett — political activist, social commentator and Chicago Tribune's first African American syndicated columnist^[24]
• Bobby Jones — gospel musician^[25]
• Cherry Jones — actress, Tony Award for Best Actress in a Play 1991 (nominee, Our Country's Good), 1995 (winner, The Heiress), 2000 (nominee, A Moon for the Misbegotten), 2005 (winner, Doubt); Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Actress in a Play 1995 (winner - The Heiress), 1998 (winner, Pride's Crossing), 2005 (winner, Doubt), 2006 (nominee, Faith Healer)^[26]
• Merle Kilgore — country musician, songwriter, manager ^[18][27]
• Charles Gilbert "Chick" King — outfielder, Detroit Tigers 1954-56, Chicago Cubs 1958-59 and St. Louis Cardinals 1959,^[28] first two-sport professional athlete
• Vernon McGarity — Congressional Medal of Honor 1946^[18]
• James D. Porter — Judge of the 12th Judicial Circuit of Tennessee 1870-1874, Tennessee governor 1875–1879, president of the Nashville, Chattanooga and St. Louis Railroad Company 1880-1884, Assistant Secretary of State under President Grover Cleveland 1885-1887, Minister to Chile under President Grover Cleveland 1893-1895, Chancellor of the University of Nashville 1901, President of Peabody Normal College 1902, later President of those two schools' merging (George Peabody College) until 1909^[29][30]
• Thomas Clarke Rye — Attorney General of the 13th Judicial District, Tennessee governor 1915-1919, Chancellor of the 8th Chancery Court of Tennessee 1922-1942^[31]
• Edward H. Tarrant — Representative of Red River County, Texas in the Texas House of Representatives September–December 1837, Chief Justice of Red River County, Texas 1838, Brigadier General of Fourth Brigade Northeast Texas Defenders, Texas House of Representatives 1849-1853, namesake of Tarrant County, Texas^[32]
• Stephen M. Veazey — president, Community of Christ 2005–present^[33]
• Hank Williams Jr. — Country musician, has a home "near Paris"^[34]
• Felix Zollicoffer — Tennessee State Printer 1835, Comptroller of the Tennessee State Treasury 1845-1849, Tennessee State Senate 1849-1852, U. S. House of Representatives 1853-1859, Brigadier General, Confederate States Army^[35]

Paris/Henry County media

Radio stations

• WRQR AM/1000 - "Classic Hits WRQR"
• W248BK FM/97.5 - "Classic Hits FM"
• WMUF FM/104.7 - "104.7 W-M-U-F"
• WLZK FM/94.1 - "94.1 The Lake"
• WAKQ FM/105.5 - KF99-KQ105
• WTPR AM/710 - WENK-WTPR
• WTPR FM/101.7

Newspapers

• The Paris Post-Intelligencer

References

1. History of Paris/Henry Co., Paris-Henry County Chamber of Commerce. Retrieved: 24 January 2013.
2. "American FactFinder". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved 2008-01-31.
3. "US Board on Geographic Names". United States Geological Survey. 2007-10-25. Retrieved 2008-01-31.
4. "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Retrieved 2011-06-07.
5. http://www.paristnchamber.com/eiffeltower.htm Paris, TN Chamber of Commerce. Retrieved on 2008-02-17.
6. Johnson, E. McLeod (1958). A History of Henry County Tennessee, Volume 1.
7. "The Goodspeed Publishing Co., History of Tennessee, 1886 History of Henderson County". Retrieved 29 July 2011.
8. "Memphis History and Facts". Retrieved 29 July 2011.
9. "US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990". United States Census Bureau. 2011-02-12. Retrieved 2011-04-23.
10. "Annual Estimates of the Resident Population for Incorporated Places: April 1, 2010 to July 1, 2014". Retrieved June 4, 2015.
11. "Census of Population and Housing: Decennial Censuses". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved 2012-03-04.
12. "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.
13. http://www.paristnchamber.com/industry.htm Paris, TN Chamber of Commerce. Retrieved on 2008-02-17.
14. "Eiffel Tower". Paris-Henry County Chamber of Commerce. Retrieved 2008-03-28.
15. "ATKINS, John DeWitt Clinton, (1825 - 1908)". Retrieved 2 June 2012.
16. "Buchanan, John Hall, Jr.". Retrieved 25 August 2012.
17. "Crockett, John Wesley". Retrieved 21 August 2012.
18. "Henry County". Retrieved 21 August 2012.
19. "Rattlesnake Annie". Retrieved 21 August 2012.
20. "Dr. Edwin Wiley Grove". Retrieved 27 July 2011.
21. "Isham Green Harris". Retrieved 17 August 2012.
22. "JACKSON, Howell Edmunds, (1832 - 1895)". Retrieved 3/8/11. Check date values in: |access-date= (help)
23. "Howell E. Jackson, 1893-1895". Retrieved 21 August 2012.
24. Lamb, Yvonne (25 May 2004). "Vernon Jarrett, 84; Journalist, Crusader". Washington Post. Retrieved 27 July 2011.
25. "Bobby Jone Radio Show". Retrieved 27 July 2011.
26. "Cherry Jones". Retrieved 22 August 2012.
27. "Merle Kilgore". Retrieved 21 August 2012.
28. "About Chick King". Retrieved 27 July 2011.
29. "Tennessee Governor James Davis Porter". Retrieved 27 July 2011.
30. "James Davis Porter". Retrieved 21 August 2012.
31. "Tennessee Governor Thomas Clarke Rye". Retrieved 2 June 2012.
32. "Tarrant, Edward H.". Retrieved 17 August 2012.
33. "STEPHEN M. VEAZEY". Retrieved 27 July 2011.
34. Tamara Saviano (2010-04-09). "Hank Williams Jr.: Son of a Gun! (1997)". Country Weekly. Retrieved 2013-12-03.
35. "Zollicoffer, Felix Kirk". Retrieved 17 August 2012.

External links

• Official website