Historic plaque - The Paris Fire, 1916

Description

Photograph of a historic plaque in Paris, Texas. It reads: "The Paris Fire. 1916. Although Paris was founded in the mid-1840s, many of its historic structures were lost in a fire that destroyed almost half the town in 1916. The blaze started about five o'clock on the afternoon of March 21, 1916, at the S. J. Long warehouse near the southwest city limits. Its cause is unknown, but one theory is that a spark from a switch engine ignited dry grass near the warehouse. Winds estimated at 50 miles per hour soon blew the fire out of control as it … continued below

Physical Description

1 photograph : digital, col.

Creation Information

Belden, Dreanna L. October 10, 2005.

Context

This photograph is part of the collection entitled: Photographing Texas and was provided by the UNT Libraries to The Portal to Texas History, a digital repository hosted by the UNT Libraries. It has been viewed 3714 times, with 14 in the last month. More information about this photograph can be viewed below.

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Description

Photograph of a historic plaque in Paris, Texas. It reads: "The Paris Fire. 1916. Although Paris was founded in the mid-1840s, many of its historic structures were lost in a fire that destroyed almost half the town in 1916. The blaze started about five o'clock on the afternoon of March 21, 1916, at the S. J. Long warehouse near the southwest city limits. Its cause is unknown, but one theory is that a spark from a switch engine ignited dry grass near the warehouse. Winds estimated at 50 miles per hour soon blew the fire out of control as it burned a funnel-shaped path to the northeast edge of Paris. Firemen from Bonham, Cooper, Dallas, Honey Grove, and Hugo, Okla., helped the Paris Fire Department battle the flames, which were visible up to 40 miles away. The blaze destroyed most of the central business district and swept through a residential area before it was controlled at about sunrise on March 22. Property damage from this fire was estimated at $11,000,000. The structures burned included the federal building and post office, Lamar County Courthouse and jail, City Hall, most commercial buildings, and several churches. Rebuilding was begun quickly as townspeople collected relief funds and opened their homes to the victims. A railroad and market center before the disaster, Paris soon regained its former prosperity. (1976)"

Physical Description

1 photograph : digital, col.

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Collections

This photograph is part of the following collection of related materials.

Photographing Texas

These images come from individuals' travels across the state. Subjects include Texas scenery, wildlife, county courthouses, state parks, national parks, libraries, museums, historic sites, outdoor murals, architecture, monuments, and historic plaques -- a little bit of everything Texas!

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Creation Date

  • October 10, 2005

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Coverage Date

Added to The Portal to Texas History

  • Nov. 14, 2005, 10:51 a.m.

Description Last Updated

  • Aug. 13, 2019, 4:06 p.m.

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Yesterday: 0
Past 30 days: 14
Total Uses: 3,714

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Coordinates

  • 33.661997096989005, -95.55709161822165

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  • map marker Place Name coordinates. (May be approximate.)
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Belden, Dreanna L. Historic plaque - The Paris Fire, 1916, photograph, October 10, 2005; (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth6686/: accessed July 15, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu.; .

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