Town goes up in flames twice in four decades

Ninety-nine years ago this week, the second major fire in four decades destroyed downtown Paris leaving 5,000 residents of the northeast Texas town homeless.

Founded in 1844 on 50 acres donated by a pioneer merchant, the original inhabitants changed the name of the settlement from Pinhook to Paris.  On the eve of secession, the community was a cattle and farming center of 700, a figure that more than tripled by 1877.

On Aug. 31 of that year, Taylor Pounds argued over money with his stepfather, who ran a saloon on the south side of the square.  Angered by Andy Myers’ stubborn refusal to part with a few dollars, Pounds poured a can of coal oil on the floor, tossed a lighted match on the flammable liquid and stalked out of the watering hole.