Paris Fire Department
N 33° 39.595 W 095° 33.307
15S E 263074 N 3727377
Texas Historical Marker in front of Paris City Hall, 135 SE 1st St
Paris, TX, noting the history and service of various fire brigades through the years, including their work during the Great Fire of 1916, an event that defines Paris today.
Waymark Code: WMR0ZQ
Location: Texas, United States
Date Posted: 04/25/2016
Views: 6
While the Paris Fire Department's administrative office is here, the building serves at Paris City Hall today.
Willet Babcock may not be a household name, but his legend lives on at his gravesite at Evergreen Cemetery, south of here: A beautiful sculpture marking the grave features -- Jesus? A saint? An angel? We don't know -- leaning on a cross, and on one foot, the heel of a cowboy boot can be seen.
Marker Number: 8217
Marker Text:
Fire protection in Paris dates to the early 1870s, when a group of businessmen led by Willet Babcock organized a volunteer fire company. Known as Phoenix Fire Company No. 1, the volunteer unit continued in operation until the city created a paid fire department in 1908. Operating from facilities at this site since 1884, the fire department has exhibited exemplary service in a number of disastrous fires, most notably the Great Fire of March 21, 1916, which killed three people, destroyed 1,440 buildings, and caused millions of dollars' worth of property damage. (1990)
|
Visit Instructions:
Please include a picture in your log. You and your GPS receiver do not need to be in the picture. We encourage additional information about your visit (comments about the surrounding area, how you ended up near the marker, etc.) in the log.