Paris, Tennessee


Paris is a city in and the county seat of Henry County, Tennessee, United States. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 10,156.
A replica of the Eiffel Tower stands in the southern part of Paris. The city hosts what it claims as the "World's Biggest Fish Fry."

History

The present site of Paris was selected by five 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 a site, of which were owned by Joseph Blythe and 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.
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. The city was named after Paris, France, in honor of the Marquis de Lafayette.
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 2000.

Geography

Paris is located just south of the center of Henry County at . U.S. Route 641 passes through the city center as Market Street, leading north to Murray, Kentucky, and southeast to Camden. U.S. Route 79 passes southeast of the city center as Tyson Avenue and Wood Street; it leads northeast to Clarksville and southwest to McKenzie. Nashville, the state capital, is to the east as the crow flies and by the quickest road route, via Clarksville.
According to the United States Census Bureau, Paris has a total area of, of which are land and, or 0.27%, is covered by water. The city is drained primarily to the east, by tributaries of West Sandy Creek, flowing to the Tennessee River in Kentucky Lake. The southwest corner of the city drains to the Middle Fork of the Obion River, a west-flowing tributary of the Mississippi River.

Climate

The climate of Paris is humid subtropical with mild winters and hot summers. Under the Trewartha climate classification, it is a temperate oceanic climate due to only 7 months having a mean 50°F or higher.

Demographics

As of the census 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. There were 4,965 housing units at an average density of 456.4 per square mile. 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.

Culture

Eiffel Tower

Constructed by students at Christian Brothers University in the early 1990s, the Eiffel Tower was installed in Eiffel Tower Park. The original wooden tower was later replaced with a metal structure. The tower is a scale model of the Eiffel Tower in Paris, France.
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 frisbee golf course.

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.

Sports

From 1922 to 1924, Paris was home to a Minor League Baseball team that played in the Kentucky–Illinois–Tennessee League as the Paris Travelers and the HCHS Football team has won the 5A State Championship twice Paris Parisians.

Notable people

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