Paris, Texas is located in the northeast Texas just minutes from the Oklahoma border.  I have driven through Paris, Texas many time, even spend the night there once.  But, arriving after dark there was not much adventuring, just eating and sleeping.

On this trip, I decided to add Paris to my list of places to visit.  My only regret is, I didn’t spend enough time there.

I learned in 1916 there was a great fire that burned most of the city, 30 blocks.  Most of the downtown area was rebuilt in about a year.   That is why most of it’s architecture in from the 1916 period.

The fire spared the Sam Bell Maxey House, only touch the edge of the property.  After the fire, Mr. Maxey was a key figure in setting up the American Red Cross in Paris, Texas.

In 1993, Paris, Texas built their Eiffel Tower.  In 1998, they added a red cowboy hat to make the tower taller then Paris, Tennessee’s Eiffel Tower.

It is located next to their Veteran Memorial.