Paris, Illinois

Paris is a city in Edgar County, Illinois, United States. It is south of Chicago and west of Indianapolis. The population was 8,291 at the 2020 census. It is the county seat and largest city in Edgar County.

History

Paris was established in 1826 on land donated by Samuel Vance to be the county seat, and was incorporated as a village in 1849. The town most likely received its name from the word "Paris" carved into a jack oak tree in the middle of what became the town and not after France's capital.

Paris's history includes the service of two brothers, Walter Booth and Newton Booth, as its mayors in the mid-1850s. Newton Booth later moved west to California, where he served as governor and a U.S. senator.

The commission form of government was adopted in 1915. In 1907, L. A. G. Shoaff bought the Centralia White Stockings and renamed them the Paris Colts. In 1908 the team was renamed the Paris Parisians. After the 1908 season the team went under. In the 1950s Paris was home to a minor league baseball team named the Paris Lakers. A contest was held among the community to decide on a name for the team. James C. Dickey's submission, the Paris Lakers, was chosen. The Lakers were the 1956 Midwest League Champions and were an affiliate of the Chicago Cubs.

Geography

According to the 2021 Census Gazetteer files, Paris has a total area of , of which (or 93.70%) is land and (or 6.30%) is water.

Climate

Climate is characterized by relatively high temperatures and evenly distributed precipitation throughout the year. The Köppen Climate Classification subtype for this climate is "Cfa" (Humid Subtropical Climate).

Demographics

2020 census

As of the 2020 census, Paris had a population of 8,291. There were 2,576 families residing in the city, and the population density was . The median age was 43.0 years. 21.2% of residents were under the age of 18 and 21.5% of residents were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 91.9 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 90.4 males age 18 and over.

97.1% of residents lived in urban areas, while 2.9% lived in rural areas.

There were 3,663 households in Paris, of which 25.8% had children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 37.7% were married-couple households, 21.1% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 32.3% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 36.7% of all households were made up of individuals and 17.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.

Paris was also the home of Saint Mary's School, a Catholic school serving preschool through 8th grade open to children of all religions. St. Mary's was the only tuition-based private school in Paris. St. Mary's School Catholic School closed on May 23, 2018.

Infrastructure

Transportation

U.S. Route 150 and Illinois State Route 1 pass through Paris. Both Illinois State Route 16 and Illinois State Route 133 have Illinois State Route 1 as their eastern terminus. One railroad passes through town, a Decatur & Eastern Illinois line that goes north to Danville and southeast to Terre Haute, Indiana.

The Edgar County Airport is located north of the city.

Fire districts

The City of Paris Fire Department is a career fire department ran by the City of Paris

The Paris Fire Department is staffed by 9 Firefighters, 3 Captains, and 1 Chief.

Notable people

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Lionel Artis, civil servant
George W. Bristow, chief justice of the Illinois Supreme Court, lived in Paris
Shorty Cantlon, race car driver
Ed Carpenter, race car driver, born in Paris
Alfred M. Craig, chief justice of the Illinois Supreme Court, born in Paris
Brett Eldredge, country music singer, born in Paris
Jack Franklin, pitcher for the Brooklyn Dodgers
Albert Austin Harding, University of Illinois band director, raised in Paris
George Hunt, Illinois attorney general
W. H. Lillard, college instructor, headmaster at Tabor Academy, head football coach at Dartmouth College
Alice Moore McComas (1850–1919), author, editor, lecturer, and reformer
Richard P. Mills, educator
Jean Paige, actress
Troy Porter, plumber and civil rights leader
Bernie Shively, college football Hall of Fame member and University of Kentucky athletic director
Benny Shoaff, American race car driver
Lee Sholem, film and television director, born in Paris
Abraham L. Stanfield, businessman and politician
Barbara Stuart, actor, born in Paris
Tom Sunkel, MLB pitcher, managed the Paris Lakers from 1950 to 1954
Carl Switzer, actor, best known as "Alfalfa" in the Our Gang film series.
Harold Switzer, actor, older brother of Carl Switzer
Bill Van Dyke, outfielder for the Toledo Maumees, St. Louis Browns, and Boston Beaneaters
Rodney Watson, men's head basketball coach, University of Southern Indiana
William Zeckendorf, real estate developer