Paris, Tennessee
Encyclopedia
Paris is a city in Henry County, Tennessee
, United States
, 86 miles (138.4 km) west of Nashville
, on a fork of the West Sandy River. In 1900, 2,018 people lived in Paris, Tennessee; in 1910, 3,881; and in 1940, 6,395. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population
of 9,763. It is the county seat
of Henry County.
A 60 feet (18.3 m) tall replica of the Eiffel Tower
stands in Paris. Paris is also home of the "World's Biggest Fish Fry".
Paris was incorporated on 30 September 1823. It was the first town incorporated in west Tennessee, followed by Lexington on 9 October 1824, and Memphis on 19 December 1826.
According to the United States Census Bureau
, the city has a total area of 10.9 square miles (28.2 km²), of which, 10.9 square miles (28.2 km²) of it is land and 0.04 square mile (0.1035995244 km²) of it is water
. The total area is 0.37% water.
of 2000, there were 9,763 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 77.09% White, 20.26% African American, 0.10% Native American, 0.60% Asian, 0.06% Pacific Islander, 0.39% from other races
, and 1.50% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.18% 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 21.7% under the age of 18, 8.5% from 18 to 24, 25.0% from 25 to 44, 22.4% from 45 to 64, and 22.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 41 years. 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.
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 feet (18.3 m) tall scale model
of the Eiffel Tower
in Paris, France.
In addition to the Eiffel Tower, Memorial Park provides tennis court
s, a public Olympic-sized swimming pool, soccer fields, two walking trails, a children's playground with pavilions, and a newly constructed frisbee golf course.
and a fun fair. Part of the festivities include the "catfish races."
There is a sign which features a roughly 20 feet (6.1 m) long catfish
that can be seen when entering the town from the south on U.S. Highway 79.
As Kentucky lake
is only a 20 minute drive away from downtown, fishing is a popular activity.
, the Krider Performing Arts Center
. Known as "KPAC", the building is attached to the city's public elementary school, Paris Elementary.
Newspapers
Tennessee
Tennessee is a U.S. state located in the Southeastern United States. It has a population of 6,346,105, making it the nation's 17th-largest state by population, and covers , making it the 36th-largest by total land area...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, 86 miles (138.4 km) west of Nashville
Nashville, Tennessee
Nashville is the capital of the U.S. state of Tennessee and the county seat of Davidson County. It is located on the Cumberland River in Davidson County, in the north-central part of the state. The city is a center for the health care, publishing, banking and transportation industries, and is home...
, on a fork of the West Sandy River. In 1900, 2,018 people lived in Paris, Tennessee; in 1910, 3,881; and in 1940, 6,395. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population
Population
A population is all the organisms that both belong to the same group or species and live in the same geographical area. The area that is used to define a sexual population is such that inter-breeding is possible between any pair within the area and more probable than cross-breeding with individuals...
of 9,763. It is the county seat
County seat
A county seat is an administrative center, or seat of government, for a county or civil parish. The term is primarily used in the United States....
of Henry County.
A 60 feet (18.3 m) tall replica of the Eiffel Tower
Eiffel Tower
The Eiffel Tower is a puddle iron lattice tower located on the Champ de Mars in Paris. Built in 1889, it has become both a global icon of France and one of the most recognizable structures in the world...
stands in Paris. 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 of 1823.Paris was incorporated on 30 September 1823. It was the first town incorporated in west Tennessee, followed by Lexington on 9 October 1824, and Memphis on 19 December 1826.
Geography
Paris is located at 36°18′4"N 88°18′50"W (36.301229, -88.313815).According to the United States Census Bureau
United States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau is the government agency that is responsible for the United States Census. It also gathers other national demographic and economic data...
, the city has a total area of 10.9 square miles (28.2 km²), of which, 10.9 square miles (28.2 km²) of it is land and 0.04 square mile (0.1035995244 km²) of it is water
Water
Water is a chemical substance with the chemical formula H2O. A water molecule contains one oxygen and two hydrogen atoms connected by covalent bonds. Water is a liquid at ambient conditions, but it often co-exists on Earth with its solid state, ice, and gaseous state . Water also exists in a...
. The total area is 0.37% water.
Demographics
As of the censusCensus
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...
of 2000, there were 9,763 people, 4,394 households, and 2,605 families residing in the city. The population density
Population density
Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...
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 77.09% White, 20.26% African American, 0.10% Native American, 0.60% Asian, 0.06% Pacific Islander, 0.39% from other races
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, and 1.50% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.18% 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
Marriage
Marriage is a social union or legal contract between people that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged in a variety of ways, depending on the culture or subculture in which it is found...
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 21.7% under the age of 18, 8.5% from 18 to 24, 25.0% from 25 to 44, 22.4% from 45 to 64, and 22.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 41 years. 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
Per capita income
Per capita income or income per person is a measure of mean income within an economic aggregate, such as a country or city. It is calculated by taking a measure of all sources of income in the aggregate and dividing it by the total population...
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.Culture
Eiffel Tower
Originally constructed by Christian Brothers UniversityChristian Brothers University
Christian Brothers University is the oldest collegiate degree-granting institution in the city of Memphis. The university is run by the Christian Brothers, a Roman Catholic religious order founded by St. John Baptist de la Salle, the patron saint of teachers...
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 feet (18.3 m) tall scale model
Scale model
A scale model is a physical model, a representation or copy of an object that is larger or smaller than the actual size of the object, which seeks to maintain the relative proportions of the physical size of the original object. Very often the scale model is used as a guide to making the object in...
of the Eiffel Tower
Eiffel Tower
The Eiffel Tower is a puddle iron lattice tower located on the Champ de Mars in Paris. Built in 1889, it has become both a global icon of France and one of the most recognizable structures in the world...
in Paris, France.
In addition to the Eiffel Tower, Memorial Park provides tennis court
Tennis court
A tennis court is where the game of tennis is played. It is a firm rectangular surface with a low net stretched across the center. The same surface can be used to play both doubles and singles.-Dimensions:...
s, 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 rodeoRodeo
Rodeo is a competitive sport which arose out of the working practices of cattle herding in Spain, Mexico, and later the United States, Canada, South America and Australia. It was based on the skills required of the working vaqueros and later, cowboys, in what today is the western United States,...
and a fun fair. Part of the festivities include the "catfish races."
There is a sign which features a roughly 20 feet (6.1 m) long catfish
Catfish
Catfishes are a diverse group of ray-finned fish. Named for their prominent barbels, which resemble a cat's whiskers, catfish range in size and behavior from the heaviest and longest, the Mekong giant catfish from Southeast Asia and the second longest, the wels catfish of Eurasia, to detritivores...
that can be seen when entering the town from the south on U.S. Highway 79.
As Kentucky lake
Kentucky Lake
Kentucky Lake is a major navigable reservoir along the Tennessee River in Kentucky and Tennessee. Created in 1944 by the Tennessee Valley Authority's impounding of the Tennessee River by Kentucky Dam, the lake is the largest artificial lake by surface area in the United States east of the...
is only a 20 minute drive away 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 auditoriumAuditorium
An auditorium is a room built to enable an audience to hear and watch performances at venues such as theatres. For movie theaters, the number of auditoriums is expressed as the number of screens.- Etymology :...
, the Krider Performing Arts Center
Krider Performing Arts Center
Krider Performing Arts Center is an auditorium in Paris, Henry County, Tennessee, U.S.A.The building is attached to the Paris Elementary School, which frequently makes use of the auditorium...
. Known as "KPAC", the building is attached to the city's public elementary school, Paris Elementary.
Notable people
- Edwin Wiley GroveEdwin Wiley GroveEdwin Wiley Grove was a self-made millionaire most famous for his "Grove's Tasteless Chill Tonic." In this chill tonic, which came out 1878, Grove found a way to bottle a quinine mixture that would eliminate the bitter taste...
(1850–1927), operated a drug store in Paris, established Paris Medicine Company 1886, endowed E. W. Grove High School 1906 - Howell Edmunds JacksonHowell Edmunds JacksonHowell Edmunds Jackson was an American jurist and politician. He served on the United States Supreme Court, in the U.S. Senate, United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit, and the Tennessee House of Representatives. He authored notable opinions on the Interstate Commerce Act and the...
, U.S. Supreme Court Justice 1893-95 - Vernon JarrettVernon JarrettVernon Jarrett was an African American journalist who worked in newspaper, television and radio and was an influential commentator on race relations, politics, and African American history....
, political activist, social commentator and Chicago Tribune's first African American syndicated columnist - Bobby JonesBobby Jones (singer)Bobby Jones is a Grammy Award–winning Gospel music singer and television host from Nashville, Tennessee and the host and executive producer of several cable television's gospel music program including Bobby Jones Gospel.-Career:Jones has produced programs for BET since 1980...
, gospel singer - Cherry JonesCherry JonesCherry Jones is an American actress and recipient of the 2009 Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress – Drama Series and the 2005 Tony Award for Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Play.-Career:...
, Tony AwardTony AwardThe Antoinette Perry Award for Excellence in Theatre, more commonly known as a Tony Award, recognizes achievement in live Broadway theatre. The awards are presented by the American Theatre Wing and The Broadway League at an annual ceremony in New York City. The awards are given for Broadway...
-winning actress - Charles Gilbert "Chick" KingChick KingCharles Gilbert "Chick" King was a Major League Baseball outfielder who played for the Detroit Tigers , Chicago Cubs , and St. Louis Cardinals ....
, outfielder for Detroit Tigers 1954-56, Chicago Cubs 1958-59 and St. Louis Cardinals 1959, first two-sport professional athlete - Harry Neal, member of piano duo Nelson and NealNelson and NealAllison Nelson and Harry Lee Neal were a duo-piano married couple performing throughout the United States in the 1950s and 1960s. They taught at the University of Tennessee at Martin , where Nelson is professor emeritus in piano...
- James D. Porter, Jr.James D. Porter, Jr.James Davis Porter was governor of the U.S. state of Tennessee from 1875 to 1879.-Biography:A native of Paris, Tennessee, Porter graduated from the former University of Nashville at age 18. He was elected to the Tennessee General Assembly in 1859. When the American Civil War loomed, Porter sided...
, Tennessee governor 1875–1879 - Stephen M. VeazeyStephen M. VeazeyStephen Mark Veazey is the current Prophet-President of the Community of Christ, headquartered in Independence, Missouri. Veazey's name was presented to the church in March 2005 by a joint council of church leaders led by the Council of Twelve Apostles, as the next Prophet-President...
, President of Community of ChristCommunity of ChristThe Community of Christ, known from 1872 to 2001 as the Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints , is an American-based international Christian church established in April 1830 that claims as its mission "to proclaim Jesus Christ and promote communities of joy, hope, love, and peace"...
2005 to present
Paris/Henry County media
Radio stations- WAKQ-FM 105.5 - KF99-KQ105
- WTPR-AM 710 - WENK-WTPR
- WTPR-FM 101.7
- WMUF-AM 1000
- WMUF-FM 104.7 "104.7 W-M-U-F"
- WLZK-FM 94.1 "The Lake"
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External links
- Official city web site
- World's Biggest Fish Fry
- Our Town USA
- The Paris Post-Intelligencer
- Pie birdPie birdA pie bird, pie vent, pie whistle, pie funnel, or pie chimney is a hollow ceramic device, originating in Europe, shaped like a funnel, chimney, or upstretched bird with open beak...
convention http://www.festivalusa.com/my-piebird/pie-conv.htm