Pictorial review of the city of Paris and Lamar county, Texas .. . , the contracting parties be-ing Benjamin F. Bourland and Miss Nancy Chisum. The cere-,mony was performed at the residence of the brides Chisum, within the present corporate limits of the first birth was that of a daughter to Mr. and Mrs. M. HRagsdale, January 20th, 1836. The town progressed very slowly during the first twenty yearsof its existence having a population in i860 of only about 700souls; and the taxable property in 1867-8 did not exceed $50,-000, whereas it is now estimated at $3,000,000. Bu
Pictorial review of the city of Paris and Lamar county, Texas .. . , the contracting parties be-ing Benjamin F. Bourland and Miss Nancy Chisum. The cere-,mony was performed at the residence of the brides Chisum, within the present corporate limits of the first birth was that of a daughter to Mr. and Mrs. M. HRagsdale, January 20th, 1836. The town progressed very slowly during the first twenty yearsof its existence having a population in i860 of only about 700souls; and the taxable property in 1867-8 did not exceed $50,-000, whereas it is now estimated at $3,000,000. But about theyear 1870 signs of progress began to appear on every population daily increased with a gratifying degree of rapid-ity; the small and cheaply constructed buildings began to sink intoinsignificance by the side of more sightly and substantia] dwellingsand business structures; the educational facilities were materiallyimproved and a new life and vigor seemed to have been awakenedin the heretofore lethargic inhabitants, and from that time the town. HON. GEORGE w. WRIGHT- PARIS, ATSTD LAMAR COUNTY. 9 prospered and grew, until visited by a great calamity that wellnigh swept the struggling city from the face of the earth. THE GREAT FIRE. At 12 oclock noon, Aug. 31, 1877, when the city had attaineda population of about 3,500, it was visited by a disastrous con-flagration, that left ruin and chaos in its track, and undid theproud results of /ears of toil; and might have discouraged, fromfurther efforts, the builders of a more advanced city. The fireoriginated in the saloon of Andrew Myers, located in Mason &McCunes building, on the southeast corner of the public square,and was wilfully kindled by one Taylor Pounds, a dissipated andlawless man, who threw a lighted match upon the floor, which hehad previously saturated with coal oil; and before any one pres-ent could recover presence of mind, sufficient to permit of anyendeavors towards checking the progress of the fire
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1800, bookdecade1880, bookidpictorialrev, bookyear1885