Paris, Maine
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| Paris, Maine | |
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  Paris, Maine
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| Coordinates: | |
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| Country | United States |
| State | Maine |
| County | Oxford |
| Incorporated | 1793 |
| Area | |
| - Total | 41.0 sq mi (106.1 km²) |
| - Land | 40.8 sq mi (105.6 km²) |
| - Water | 0.2 sq mi (0.5 km²) |
| Elevation | 610 ft (186 m) |
| Population (2000) | |
| - Total | 4,793 |
| - Density | 117.6/sq mi (45.4/km²) |
| Time zone | Eastern (EST) (UTC-5) |
| - Summer (DST) | EDT (UTC-4) |
| ZIP code | 04271 |
| Area code(s) | 207 |
| FIPS code | 23-56625 |
| GNIS feature ID | 0582661 |
Paris is a town in Oxford County, Maine. The population was 4,793 at the 2000 census. The census designated place of South Paris is located within Paris, and the town as a whole is commonly referred to as South Paris. The main exception is the area known as Paris Hill, which is a scenic historic district popular with tourists.
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[edit] History
The land was granted on June 11, 1771 by the Massachusetts General Court to Captain Joshua Fuller of Watertown, Massachusetts and 59 others (or their heirs) for service during the French and Indian Wars. It was the second attempt to repay the soldiers, because their first grant in New Hampshire, made on November 24, 1736 and called Township Number Four, was deemed invalid because of a prior claim by the heirs of John Mason. The land in Maine would retain the name Township Number Four. It was first settled on Paris Hill by Lemuel Jackson, John Willis and their families in 1782.
Organized as Number Four Plantation, it was incorporated as Paris on June 20, 1793. At the establishment of Oxford County in 1805, Paris was designated its county seat and developed into a thriving community. It was noted for scenic beauty and excellent pasturage, including some of the state's best livestock and dairy farms. It also had many large apple orchards. Paris Hill is the highest elevation village in the region and probably the state, with views of Mount Chocorua and Mount Washington in the White Mountains. The Paris Hill Historic District, added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1973, has fine examples of Federal and Greek Revival architecture. The old Oxford County Jail, built of granite in 1822, was given in 1902 to the Paris Hill Library Association, and is now the Hamlin Memorial Library and Museum.
The Little Androscoggin River provided water power for mills at South Paris, to which the town center shifted after the arrival of the Atlantic and St. Lawrence Railroad on June 8, 1850. Industries included a gristmill, sawmill, shingle mill, planing mill, iron foundry and machine shop. In the 1890s, the county seat moved here from Paris Hill to be near the train station. Manufacturing would fade with the Great Depression, but South Paris remains the commercial part of the town. West Paris, which includes North Paris, was set off and incorporated in 1957.
[edit] Notable residents
- Charles Andrews, congressman
- Emily Bissell, social worker & activist
- Timothy J. Carter, congressman
- Rufus K. Goodenow, congressman
- Hannibal Hamlin, congressman, senator, governor & vice president
- Levi Hubbard, congressman
- William Wirt Kimball, admiral
- Horatio King, postmaster general
- Enoch Lincoln, congressman & governor
- Tony Montanaro, mime, director & instructor
- Albion K. Parris, senator & governor
- Virgil D. Parris, congressman
- Sidney Perham, congressman & governor
[edit] Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 41.0 square miles (106.1 km²), of which, 40.8 square miles (105.6 km²) of it is land and 0.2 square miles (0.5 km²) of it (0.49%) is water. Paris is drained by the Little Androscoggin River. The town is located on a bed of pegmatite in which many semi-precious gems and rare stones can be found, including beryl, garnet, tourmaline, amethyst and smoky quartz.
[edit] Demographics
As of the census[1] of 2000, there were 4,793 people, 1,975 households, and 1,238 families residing in the town. The population density was 117.6 people per square mile (45.4/km²). There were 2,142 housing units at an average density of 52.5/sq mi (20.3/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 97.89% White, 0.31% African American, 0.15% Native American, 0.92% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 0.19% from other races, and 0.52% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.35% of the population. 31.2% were of English, 15.0% American, 9.9% French, 9.7% Irish and 7.1% Finnish ancestry according to Census 2000.
There were 1,975 households out of which 27.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 48.8% were married couples living together, 9.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 37.3% were non-families. 30.3% of all households were made up of individuals and 14.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.31 and the average family size was 2.85.
In the town the population was spread out with 21.7% under the age of 18, 7.9% from 18 to 24, 27.5% from 25 to 44, 23.0% from 45 to 64, and 19.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females there were 91.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 89.4 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $33,625, and the median income for a family was $43,166. Males had a median income of $28,235 versus $20,764 for females. The per capita income for the town was $16,441. About 4.9% of families and 10.2% of the population were below the poverty line, including 10.7% of those under age 18 and 10.8% of those age 65 or over.
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