Born And Raised In The South...,: Paris, TN

Paris is a city in Henry County, Tennessee, 86 miles (138 km) west of Nashville, on a fork of the West Sandy River. In 1900, 2,018 people lived in Paris, Tennessee; in 1910, 3,881; and in 1940, 6,395. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 9,763. It is the county seat of Henry County.

A 60-foot (18 m) tall replica of the Eiffel Tower stands in Paris.

World's Biggest Fish Fry

Paris is home of the "World's Biggest Fish Fry". The festival is held every year and culminates on a weekend, on the last full week in April, with a parade, an art and craft fair, a rodeo and a fun fair. There is a sign which features a roughly 20-foot (6.1 m) long catfish that can be seen when entering the town from the south on U.S. Highway 79.

History of the World's Biggest Fish Fry

Written by Dwayne Hamm

Tuesday, 24 June 2008 11:20

The "Fish Fry" evolved from "Mule Day," which originated in 1938 with the Paris Post Intelligencer as the first sponsor. Farmers came to town on the first Monday in April to trade their mules and other farm products, do their shopping and enjoy the fellowship of their friends. Early in the 1950's, the Chamber of Commerce took over "Mule Day" and the tractors took the place of mules. The Chamber of Commerce started looking for another event to replace "Mule Day."

In 1953, the Chamber of Commerce held the first "Fish Fry." The event was not as successful as hoped. The fish were not taken from Kentucky Lake and just did not please the fish eating public. The parade was short but sweet, and the event was held on Barton Field for one day and night.

In 1961, the Paris-Henry County Jaycees took over the "Fish Fry" from the Chamber of Commerce. The "Fish Fry" was starting to grow too much for the Chamber to handle, so the Jaycees (Junior Chamber of Commerce) took over the event, taking the name of "World's Biggest Fish Fry," an event that truly lives up to its name.

Since 1961, the "World's Biggest Fish Fry" has grown considerable - from 1,600 pounds to over 5 tons of catfish being cooked and served at the Robert E. "Bobby" Cox Memorial Fish Tent.

Community participation and support of the "World's Biggest Fish Fry" unites the community in many ways. Community involvement by attending one of the five beauty pageants, buying souvenirs, eathing fish dinners, attending the rodeo, entering or watching the Grand Parade or the Small Fry Parade, and going to the carnival makes the event successful.

The history of the "Fish Fry" started with the farmers and their mules. Each past "Fish Fry" makes new history by trying new and different things, increased attendance, more catfish served, and more community involvement.

The Paris-Henry County Jaycees hope to make the "World's Biggest Fish Fry" bigger and better each year.

Notable people from Paris, Tennessee

Memphis Flyer

Dennis Freeland (1956-2002), editor of the Memphis Flyer newspaper

The Memphis Flyer is a free weekly alternative newspaper serving the greater Memphis, Tennessee area. Liberal in its politics, the Flyer covers local politics, as well as music and entertainment, regional sports, and human interest stories. Circulation: 55,000

The Flyer was founded in 1989 by publisher Kenneth Neill. The current editor is Bruce VanWyngarden. The Flyer is a publication of Contemporary Media, Inc. which also publishes Memphis magazine, Memphis Parent, and Memphis Business Quarterly.

The Memphis Flyer hits the streets every Wednesday morning with a blend of serious hard news and entertainment coverage.

Memphisflyer.com is the partner website, and all of the features and editorials found each week in the print edition are searchable and downloadable and posted online every Thursday morning. Memphisflyer.com also features "The Buzz," daily local news and gossip found only online, and updated all day long by the Flyer's editorial staff.

Justice Howell Jackson

Howell Edmunds Jackson (April 8, 1832–August 8, 1895) was an American jurist and politician. He served on the United States Supreme Court, in the U.S. Senate, U.S. Circuit Court for the Sixth Circuit, and the Tennessee House of Representatives. He authored notable opinions on the Interstate Commerce Act and the Sherman Anti-Trust Act. His secretary on the Supreme Court was James Clark McReynolds who became a Supreme Court Justice.

Jackson was born in Paris, Tennessee to Alexander Jackson, a doctor, and Mary Hurt Jackson, the daughter of a Baptist minister, both natives of Virginia. He moved to Jackson, Tennessee, with his parents at the age of eight where his father would be elected as a Whig to the state legislature and subsequently as Jackson's mayor.

Howell graduated from West Tennessee College (now Union University) in 1849, where he studied Greek and Latin, then attended the University of Virginia in 1854 where he graduated with high honors. He then returned to Tennessee and clerked for Judge A.W.O. Totten of the Tennessee Supreme Court, and Milton Brown, a former U.S. Representative. The next year Howell attended Cumberland School of Law in Lebanon, Tennessee and graduated in 1856. Upon admission to the bar, he practiced first in Jackson, but was unable to establish a successful practice, so he relocated to Memphis and partnered with David M. Currin, a prominent democrat. In Memphis he married Sophia Malloy, the daughter of a local client.

Vernon Jarrett, newspaper columnist and social commentator,

Vernon Jarrett (1918 – May 23, 2004) was an African American journalist who worked in newspaper, television and radio and was an influential commentator on race relations, politics, and African American history.

Jarrett was born in Paris, Tennessee; his parents were schoolteachers. He graduated from Knoxville College in Tennessee. He moved to Chicago in 1946 and began his journalism career at the Chicago Defender.[1] In his first assignment for the Defender, he covered a race riot. He also worked for the Associated Negro Press during the 1940s. For three years beginning in 1948 he partnered with composer Oscar Brown, Jr. to produce Negro Newsfront, the first daily radio news broadcast in the United States to be created by African Americans.

Jarrett was the first African American to be a syndicated columnist for the Chicago Tribune, beginning in 1970. During his years at the Tribune, he also was a host on Chicago's ABC-TV station, WLS, where he produced nearly 2,000 television broadcasts. In 1983, he left the Tribune for the Chicago Sun-Times as an op-ed columnist. He later became a member of the Sun-Times editorial board, and retired from the Sun-Times in 1995.

He was one of the founders of the National Association of Black Journalists, serving as the organization's second president.

Bobby Jones, gospel singer,

Born in Henry, Tennessee, Jones is host and executive producer of cable television's only national gospel program, Bobby Jones Gospel. He has produced programs for BET since 1980, which figure prominently in the Sunday programming on that channel. He also hosts Bobby Jones Gospel Countdown, a two-hour weekend gospel countdown show heard on American Urban Radio Networks, "Bobby Jones Presents", seen on The Word Network and Bobby Jones Radio Show, heard on Sheridan Gospel Network.

In 1984 he won a Grammy Award in the Best Soul Gospel Performance By A Duo Or Group category with Barbara Mandrell for "I'm So Glad I'm Standing Here Today". Jones is also the recipient of a Dove Award and three Stellar Awards, along with a presidential commendation from President George W. Bush.

In addition to his work for BET, Jones produced and hosted a similar half-hour program for WDCN-TV (now WNPT), Nashville's public television outlet, during the early 1980s. The show was seen early Saturday evenings.

Cherry Jones

Cherry Jones, Tony Award-winning actress (grew up in Paris),

Jones was born in Paris, Tennessee, to a high school teacher mother and a flower shop owner father.

Career

Jones is known primarily for her stage work, including her Tony-winning lead performances in Lincoln Center's 1995 production of The Heiress and John Patrick Shanley's play Doubt, which opened at the Walter Kerr Theatre in March 2005. Other Broadway credits include Nora Ephron's play Imaginary Friends (with Swoosie Kurtz); Angels in America: Millennium Approaches and Perestroika, the 2000 revival of A Moon for the Misbegotten, and Timberlake Wertenbaker's Our Country's Good, for which she earned her first Tony nomination. She is considered to be one of the foremost theater actresses in the United States.

She also narrated the audiobook adaptations of Laura Ingalls Wilder's Little House series including, "Little House in the Big Woods", "Little House on the Prarie" and "On the Banks of Plum Creek"

In recent years, Jones has ventured into the film industry, in which she has played mostly supporting roles. Her screen credits include Cradle Will Rock, The Perfect Storm, Ocean's Twelve, Signs, The Village.

Jones will play President Allison Taylor on the seventh season of the Fox series 24.

Chick King, first two-sport professional athlete,

Charles Gilbert "Chick" King (November 10, 1930 - ) was a Major League Baseball outfielder who played for the Detroit Tigers (1954-1956), Chicago Cubs (1958-1959), and St. Louis Cardinals (1959).

Born in Paris, Tennessee, King debuted on August 27, 1954, with the Tigers and played in 25 games for them between 1954 and 1956. His best year with Detroit was 1955, when he had 5 hits in 21 at bats for a .238 batting average. He next played for the Chicago Cubs in 1958 and 1959. He ended his career in 1959 with the St. Louis Cardinals on May 30, 1959. In 12 games in 1959 for the Cubs and Cardinals, King hit .300 with 3 hits in 10 at bats.

Over his 5 seasons in the Major Leagues, King played in 45 games, 29 as an outfielder and the rest as a pinch hitter. He had a career batting average of .237 and an on base percentage of .306.

Zigfield Follies
Ula Love, performer in the Ziegfeld Follies,

The Follies were lavish revues, something between later Broadway shows and a more elaborate high class Vaudeville variety show. Many of the top entertainers of the era (including Eddie Cantor, Fanny Brice, Ann Pennington, Bert Williams, Will Rogers, Ruth Etting, Helen Morgan, Marilyn Miller, W.C. Fields, Ed Wynn, Gilda Gray, Nora Bayes, The Tiller Girls, and others) appeared in the shows. The Ziegfeld Follies were also famous for many beautiful chorus girls commonly known as Ziegfeld girls, usually decked in elaborate costumes by designers such as Erté, Lady Duff Gordon or Ali Ben Hagan, which became the talk of Broadway the following day.

Harry Neal, member of piano duo Nelson and Neal (grew up in Paris,

Allison Nelson and Harry Neal were an Australian-American duo piano couple performing throughout the United States in the 1950s and 1960s. They went on to teach at the University of Tennessee at Martin, where Allison is professor emeritus in piano. They published the Nelson and Neal Piano Study Series (12 books of piano studies) for their children, and a book about their years on the road as traveling performers: Wave As You Pass by Harry Neal, 1958 (now out of print). The Neals and their three children, John, Kathie, and Elise were featured on This is Your Life in 1958, where they received an Edsel station wagon as a gift. Ironically, Harry always said that Edsel was the best car he ever owned.

Allison was a native of Adelaide, Australia. A chld prodigy in piano, she was well known throughout Australia at a young age. Harry grew up in Paris, Tennessee, the son of William Fisher Neal, who was a prominent lawyer and politician in Henry County, Tennessee. They were married on New Year's Day, 1949 on Endsmeet Farm, just outside of Philadelphia.

Allison and Harry both studied piano at the prestigious Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia. Allison is one of few students to ever be accepted into Curtis without an audition. Eugene Ormandy, who had seen her playing while visiting Australia, arranged for her to have a place there after seeing her perform. While there Allison was a student of Rudolf Serkin, and Harry was a student of Isabelle Vengerova.

Harry and Allison spent time in 1950 in Adelaide after her national tour with the Australian Broadcasting Commission, living with her family. It was then that they decided to end their solo careers and become a permanent two piano duo before returning to the United States in mid-1951.

Harry died in 1968 of an apparent heart attack. Allison completed her career as a professor of piano at UTM.

While at UTM, Dr. Allison Neal founded the UTM Piano Ensemble. In 2006, it is still active under the direction of Dr. Elaine Harriss, who for many years performed with Dr. Nelson.

James D. Porter, Jr., Tennessee governor, 1875-1879,

James Davis Porter (December 7, 1828–May 18, 1912) was governor of the U.S. state of Tennessee from 1875 to 1879.

A native of Paris, Tennessee, Porter graduated from the former University of Nashville at age 18. He was elected to the Tennessee General Assembly in 1859. When the American Civil War loomed, Porter sided with the Confederacy. He was involved in the organization of the Provisional Army of Tennessee. After his civil rights were restored he re-entered politics as a Democrat. He was elected a circuit judge, and served as such until his election as governor. His administration was greatly hampered by the high level of state debt relative to the size of the state's economy at the time, and the various approaches suggested for dealing with the state debt were the major issues during his administration.

Porter was a strong supporter of public education. While he was governor, the first medical school for emancipated blacks, Meharry Medical College, was founded in Nashville. During Porter's tenure as governor, the so-called "Four Mile Law" was adopted. An early, backdoor form of Prohibition, it forbade alcoholic beverages within four miles (6.4 km) of any school; given the small size of most of the schools of the era and their resultant presence in almost every community, even many of the smallest ones, this effectively outlawed alcohol in all but the least-populated areas of the state, which was exactly the intent of the measure's sponsors.

Porter was later U.S. Minister to Chile.

Stephen M. Veazey, world President of Community of Christ (2005 to present) (grew up in Paris,

Britt McGehee, prominent Thoroughbred Agent for rider James Graham and formerly a trainer of great note. (born in Paris)

Hank Williams, JR.

Hank Williams, Jr., country music Singer/songwriter (lives near Paris),

Hank Williams, Jr., (born Randall Hank Williams, May 26, 1949) is an American country singer-songwriter and musician. His musical style is often considered a blend of southern rock, blues, and traditional country. The son of country music pioneer Hank Williams, he is the father of Hank Williams III, Holly Williams, Hillary Williams, Samuel, and Katie Williams.

Though he began his career imitating his famed father, Williams' style slowly evolved until he was involved in a near fatal fall that changed his personal and professional life forever. After an extended recovery, he challenged the country music establishment with a revolutionary blend of country, rock, and blues. After much critical and popular success in the 1980s, Williams earned considerable recognition and enjoyed substantial popularity. He is now considered a sort of elder statesman of country music.

A multi-instrumentalist, Williams can play electric guitar, acoustic guitar, bass guitar, upright bass, steel guitar, banjo, piano, keyboards, harmonica, fiddle, and drums.

J. David Williams, concert organist & conductor (grew up in Paris)

Local Events:

Concert in the Woods

Concert in the Woods
Date: August 30, 2008
Contact:
Concert In The Woods

Saturday August 30th
6:00pm-8:30pm

Featuring: Kala Dunn-Keyboard & Sean Mustan- Acoustic Guitar

Bring a picnic blanket or chairs, stemware and a light snack or dinner, the family and friends to join us for an evening under the stars!

Downtown Paris

Things To Do In Paris

If you are in the mood for some unique shopping, you will want to head to downtown Paris for this area's most gorgeous downtown square. In the mid 1990s, the downtown area underwent major renovations to bring the square back to its original 1920s-era style.
This was certainly accomplished as now the downtown area is bustling with business (especially antique stores). Visit one of the 40 merchants downtown for an experience to remember.

Antiques

Paris-Henry County serves as the hub for regional antique shopping. Treasures from the past fill local shops, ranging from furniture and glassware to collectibles and jewelry.

Snapshots of Paris, TN

History of Paris/Henry Co.

The land between the Tennessee and Mississippi Rivers was purchased from the Chickasaw Indians in 1818. The Jackson Purchase--named for Andrew Jackson--was divided between Tennessee and Kentucky. Tennessee's portion became known as West Tennessee.

Settlers soon swarmed in and the Tennessee General Assembly created the County of Henry on November 7, 1821. The county was named in honor of Revolutionary War patriot and statesman, Patrick Henry. Henry County became the gateway for the settlement of West Tennessee and beyond.

The town of Paris was established as the county seat on September 23, 1823, and became West Tennessee's oldest incorporated municipality. The town was named for the French capital in honor of Lafayette, who visited Tennessee in the early 1800s.

"Dogtrot" Cabin

A two-room "dogtrot" cabin of small poplar logs was erected in 1823 to serve as the county's first courthouse. Court was held in the north room while pies and liquor were sold in the south room.

Henry County Courthouse

During the War Between the States, the courthouse lawn was the setting for the organization of military units including the Fifth Tennessee Infantry Regiment led by Lieutenant-Colonel J.D.C. Atkins.

Henry County sent more than 2,500 volunteers to the Confederacy and was given the title "Volunteer County of the Volunteer State" for providing more volunteer soldiers per capita than any other county in Tennessee.

The Civil War came to the county after Gen. Ulysses S. Grant ordered a Union force into Paris. On March 11, 1862, four companies and a battery of artillery consisting of 500 men attacked the Confederate encampment which numbered 400 soldiers.

After this "duel between artillery and Enfield rifles" had gone on for 35 minutes, the Federals retreated back toward Paris Landing. The Battle of Paris ended with 20 Confederates killed or wounded and left the Federals with four killed, five wounded and one captured.

On March 21, 1864, Governor Isham G. Harris was involved in a skirmish near Mansfield where two Confederates were wounded. The Union soldiers retreated with two killed, including their major in command, and several wounded.

Gen. Nathan Bedford Forrest began his Johnsonville Campaign at Paris Landing on October 29, 1864. He captured four Union gunboats, 14 transports, 20 barges, 26 pieces of artillery, $6,700,000 worth of property and 150 prisoners on the Tennessee River.

Another war also had a significant impact on Henry County. Camp Tyson, named for Brig. Gen. Lawrence D. Tyson, was built near the Routon community in 1941. The camp was the only barrage balloon training center in the U.S. Army during World War II. Thousands of American servicemen were trained for the Barrage Balloon Service of the Coast Artillery Corps. In addition, Camp Tyson held German prisoners of war.

Henry County's first tourist attraction, Sulphur Well, was created by accident in 1821 when an artesian well of sulphur water was struck in an attempt to locate a large salt bed on a Chickasaw reservation.

Sulphur Well Resort
Eventually a summer resort was erected at the site to accommodate the large numbers of people who came to drink the water which was thought to have health benefits. Many sought refuge at Sulphur Well during the 1837 yellow fever epidemic.

In 1944, Sulphur Well was covered by TVA's Kentucky Lake, the largest man-made lake in the United States and the second largest in the world.

Paris Landing State Park was created in 1945 and the lake soon became a popular recreation destination. Paris became known as the "Capital City of Kentucky Lake" and tourism took on an important role in the area's economy.

The "World's Biggest Fish Fry" emerged as one of Tennessee's premier annual festivals which draws tens of thousands of visitors into Paris and Henry County during the last full week of April.

E. W. GROVE HIGH SCHOOL

HENRY COUNTY, TENNESSEE

1906 - 1958

E. W. Grove High School presently exists only in the minds of those who attended this unique institution. She breathed her last breath in the fall of 1969 when the torch was passed to Henry County High School. It is most notable that E. W. Grove High School was a privately endowed public school, an arrangement that was not customary.
Her credits were many. She was the first school in the nation to establish a high school vocational agriculture department in accordance with the Smith-Hughes Act of 1917. Of equal interest was the fact that at her closing only two other high schools in Tennessee had greater tenure in the Southern Association of Colleges and Secondary Schools.

If you are intrigued by this introduction and are determined to read on, please remember that a considerable portion of the documentation has been quoted. In that vein the spelling and grammar are of the past and not the present.

This Presentation is an Internet Adaptation of a M.S. Degree thesis
"A History of E. W. Grove High School, Henry County, Tennessee"

Presented to The University of Tennessee in August, 1960

The author is Maurice Houston Field, Professor Emeritus
The University of Tennessee at Martin and
Curator, Chenoa Waterfowl, Martin, Tennessee

NORTH & WEST ENTRANCES
E.W. GROVE HIGH SCHOOL BUILDING

E.W. GROVE'S COLD TABLETS

Grove's Famous Cold Tablets~ Part of the Legacy

I recall my mother telling me E. W. Grove cooked up some of his concoctions in a couple of iron wash kettles in his back yard. She said, "If you were down wind of the wash kettles the odor was unbearable". I remember her saying the location was Poplar St. This would have had to be related to her by the "Old Timers" because she would not have been old enough to remember E. W. Grove when he was in Paris.

Grove's early success's were "Grove Chill Tonic" and his "Bromo Quinine Tablets". As the comments on the box indicate, the Cold Tablets shown, were a derivative of his "Bromo Quinine Tablets."

Source of The Cold Tablets: Jim Paschall, sister Peggy's brother-in-law. Jim and wife Betty live in Puryear (I'm sad to say Jim passed away this year.) Maybe some of you remember the little panel trucks used to distribute snacks and a variety of other items in the 40's and 50's. As I recall the trucks all had Gordon Potato Chips painted on the side panels. Several years ago Jim heard when the last route owner had passed away, his widow shut down the routes. These 5 or 6 trucks had been parked in a building with all the merchandize still inside. Jim found and bought 2 of the trucks, with restoration in mind. Needless to say, the mice had taken care of the food. In tack and in good condition, however, were the cold tablets, pencils, marbles and other novelties. Knowing my association with Paris and Grove School, Jim gave me the box of cold tablets.

Lee School 3rd. Grade Scrap Drive 1942,

From the scrap book of SARAH NEALON VINCENT

Left to right:
1st row of six - Right foreground -kneeling: Paul McMinn, Jimmy McFadden, George Robison, Billy Kibbons, Jimmy Marcus, Marilee Tayloe.
2nd row: Lena Ruth Cox, Mary Margaret Smith, Harold Palmer, Amanda Hurdle, Betty Jane Wade, Mitch Warren, Donald Laster, Clifford Hodges.
3rd row: Irene Goodall, Annette Mathews, Diana Diggs, Sarah Nealon, James Perry, (girl??), Clarice Allen, Jacklie Bayless,
(????), (girl???), (boy???).

EDWIN WILEY GROVE and GROVE SCHOOL HISTORY

DR. E. W. GROVE 1850 - 1927

Dr. Edwin Wiley Grove was born at Bolivar, Hardin County, Tennessee, in 1850. He was the son of James Henry Grove. Dr. Grove’s aunt, Peggy Traylor Grove, raised James’ children, including Edwin.

Moving to Paris, Tennessee, Dr. Grove became a druggist and established the Paris Medicine Company in 1886. To establish a national market for his products the company was moved to St. Louis Mo. in 1889. The Paris Medicine company marketed Febriline, Grove's Tasteless Chill Tonic, cold tablets and other products. The Tasteless Quinine Company was soon established in Asheville, North Carolina. Dr. Grove had many interest in Asheville, including the famous Grove Park Inn. He died in 1927. The Paris Medicine Company was renamed Grove Laboratories in 1935.
E.W. Grove is buried in the Old Paris Cemetery, Paris, Tennessee.

Dr. Grove endowed E.W. Grove High School (1906-1968), Paris, Tennessee in 1906.

Dr. Grove's many interest in Asheville, North Carolina, included:

The Manor
Albemarle Park
Battery Park Hotel
The Arcade
Grovemont
Lake Eden
and the famous Grove Park Inn

When William Jennings Bryan delivered the keynote address at the opening of The Grove Park Inn in 1913, he was only the first of many prominent figures, including 7 presidents, to spend time at the luxury resort nestled in the Blue Ridge Mountains.

EDWIN WILEY GROVE TIMELINE:

The following timeline of the Edwin Wiley Grove Legacy was prepared by David W. Webb, Henry County Tennessee Historian.

Edwin Wiley Grove Timeline

1850: Edwin Wiley Grove was born in Whiteville, Hardeman County, Tennessee, on December 27

1874: Grove came to Paris, Tennessee; became a clerk in a drug store for Dr. S.H. Caldwell and A.B. Mitchum

1877: Grove formulated Ferrine, a quinine product and a precursor to his famous chill tonic

1878: Grove developed Febriline, a tasteless quinine remedy

1880: Grove bought out Dr. Caldwell’s drug store and established Grove’s Pharmacy

by 1881 Dr. F.F. Porter had his office in the E.W. Grove drug store

1883: E.W. Grove Druggist and Practical Pharmacist advertised in a Paris newspaper

1884: Grove’s wife, Mary Louisia Moore Grove, died in September and was buried in the Paris City Cemetery

1885: Grove formulated Grove’s Tasteless Chill Tonic, sold over the counter with half the strength of Febriline

1886: the Paris Medicine Company organized in Paris, with the help of local investors, for the manufacture and
sale of Grove’s Tasteless Chill Tonic, packed and mixed in a 50 gallon steel drum with a hand pump attached;
the offices were located on the west side of the court square on the second floor; Grove married Alice Gertrude
Matthewson of Murray

1888: image of Grove’s Pharmacy in Paris appears on flier

1889: State of Tennessee issued a charter to the Paris Medicine Company on August 20; the company began to move its operation to St. Louis; Grove sold his home at 607 North Poplar Street in Paris

1890: more bottles of Grove’s Tasteless Chill Tonic were sold than bottles of Coca-Cola and the tonic was a household name for decades; the British Army made the tonic standard issue for every soldier going off to mosquito-infested lands; the Paris Medicine Company erected a building on Main Street in St. Louis

1891: Paris Medicine Company completed its move to St. Louis, Missouri; principal ownership remained in Paris; Paris Medicine Co. license to do business in the State of Missouri was issued on August 8; the company was advertising in a St. Louis newspaper by September

1893: the Laxative Bromo Quinine name was copyrighted

1894: Dr. Porter’s Antiseptic Healing Oil, developed in Paris, was acquired on January 29 by May, 1896, the Paris
Medicine Co. had moved to Chestnut Street

1895: Grove visited Paris on December 20 and reported the Paris Medicine Co. as prosperous

1896: Grove’s Laxitive Bromo Quinine, the world’s first cold tablets, are released; the machine to make and count the tablets and fill the boxes was invented by Grove’s son-in-law, Fred Seely

1897: E.W. Grove visited Asheville, North Carolina, for relief of bronchitis and chronic hiccoughs

1898: E.W. Grove established a summer residence in Asheville on October 24; Fred Loring Seely married Grove’s
daughter, Evelyn

1899: Pazo Ointment for piles was acquired on July 1

by 1900 the Paris Medicine Co. moved to Pine Street and became the largest consumer of quinine in the world; the
company had branch offices in Toronto, Canada; London, England; Rio de Janiero, Brazil; Buenos Aires, Argentina;
and Paris, France

1902: E.W. Grove made first offer to the Henry County Quarterly Court through O.C. Barton on April 9 to give
$20,000 to build and equip a public high school; court rejected offer due in part to a smallpox outbreak
in the county

1904: Grove made a $250 donation to the public library in Paris on January 9

1905: E.W. Grove made second offer to the Henry County Quarterly Court on July 3 to endow a free public high
school in the amount of $50,000 that would earn at least $4,000 a year if the City of Paris and Henry County
acquired the land and built the high school; the County Court voted 23-4 in favor of Grove’s proposal; Grove
became the principal stockholder of the Atlanta Georgian, which later became the Atlanta Journal-Constitution;
Grove formed the Fortified Hills residential subdivision in Atlanta; Grove began the Grove Park real estate development in Asheville and spent $100,000 to build one of the nation’s first motor roads

1906: E.W. Grove personally fixed the site for the Grove High School and convinced T.P. Jernigan to donate
17 ½ acres on Jernigan Heights (formerly known as McCampbell Heights, the highest point in West Tennessee,
for the school’s campus; the cornerstone for E.W. Grove-Henry County High School was laid in a Masonic
Ceremony on June 26 following a parade from downtown Paris and was reported as a great day for Henry County;
the school opened in September in the City Hall’s library and council room until Grove Tower, the school’s first building was completed; the school was the first privately endowed public high school in Tennessee; Clovis and
Ashley Chappell were brothers and the school’s first co-principals

1907: E.W. Grove provided uniforms for Grove High School’s first football team, the Chill Tonics, coached by
Dr. Clovis Chappell; Barton Field was donated by Col. O.C. Barton

by 1908 music, history, English, Latin, Greek, French, German, geography, geology, physiology, and physics
were taught at Grove High School; the Hamilton Literary Society for the boys and the Elizabeth Browning
Literary Society for girls met every Friday evening; the YMCA and the YWCA met each Wednesday and Friday afternoon.

By 1910 the Paris Medicine Co. produced the following products:

Grove’s Tasteless Chill Tonic,
Grove’s Chronic Chill Cure,
Dr. Porter’s Antiseptic Healing Oil,
Laxative Bromo Quinine, Grove’s Black Root Liver Pills,
Grove’s Baby Bowel Remedy,
Grove’s Worm Syrup,
Pazo Ointment for piles,
Grove’s Shave-Ease,
Grove’s New Discovery for Catarrh,
Grove’s Common-Sense Nasal Douche,
Febriline or Syrup of Quinine,
Concentrated Febriline,
Grove’s Tasteless Quinine and Quionin

1910: Cavitt Hall, originally a girls’ dormitory, became the first addition to Grove High; the building was funded in part by Col. O.C. Barton and named for his wife’s family.

1912: E.W. Grove visited the high school during Thanksgiving week and was warmly greeted by the students; upon his return to St. Louis, Grove sent a check to after a provide fresh fruit for the students; few years Grove stopped the apple money because the board of education used these funds to repair the road leading to the school; boys’ basketball begins; Grove’s Atlanta Georgian newspaper was sold to William Randolph Hearst.

1913: Grove Park Inn in Asheville was dedicated on July 12 with William Jennings Bryan as the keynote speaker; Grove’s son-in-law, Fred Seely managed the inn.

1915: E.W. Grove-Henry County High School was among the first educational institutions admitted to membership in the Southern Association of Colleges and Secondary Schools.

1916: The cornerstone of First Presbyterian Church, Paris was laid; E.W. Grove paid for much of the building’s construction and a stained glass window, The Light of the World was placed in his honor.

1917: Grove High School Principal Dudley M. Clements established the nation’s first vocational agricultural program under the Smith-Hughes Act passed by Congress on February 23; classes met in the basement of Grove Tower; the first funeral at First Presbyterian Church, Paris took place for Dr. S.H. Caldwell in 1917; friends worked all night installing seats for the funeral.

1919: Charter for The Grove Laboratories was issued in December.

1920: Grove purchased the Manor of Albermarle Park in Asheville.

1922: E.W. Grove bought the old Battery Park Hotel in Asheville.

1923: E.W. Grove made his last visit to Paris during the city’s centennial celebration; Grove razed the Battery Park Hotel and removed a hill to make way for a downtown expansion of Asheville; by 1924 Cavitt Hall was converted to a home economics department and apartments for the coach and janitor; the basement continued to be used as a cafeteria until 1949.

1924: Grove’s new Battery Park Hotel opened in September.

1927: E.W. Grove died in his Battery Park Hotel in Asheville on January 27 and his death made front-page news in Asheville, St. Louis, and Paris; a memorial service was held in First Baptist Church, Paris; Grove’s funeral was held in First Presbyterian Church in Paris and he was buried in the Paris City Cemetery; Grove’s son-in-law, Fred Seely, sued the estate of E.W. Grove over the control of the company or a sizeable bequest after Grove’s death.

1928: Gertrude Grove died and was buried in the Paris City Cemetery.

1929: Grove’s final realized vision, the Grove Arcade (minus its planned 12-story tower), was completed in Asheville; the Arcade was likely America’s first indoor shopping mall.

1931: E.W. Grove, Jr., proposed to erect several buildings on the Grove High campus as a memorial to his father; the building plans never materialized as he died in 1934.

1934: Paris Medicine Company changed its name to The Grove Laboratories, Inc., in July.

1937: A building housing a gymnasium and two classrooms was erected with WPA funds and labor.

1940: The estate of E.W. Grove, Jr., gave Grove High School $10,000; a portion of these funds was used to repair Cavitt Hall after a fire three years later.

1943: Fire destroyed the interior of Cavitt Hall on January 27.

1948: American Legion Memorial Stadium was built at Barton Field.

1949: Weston Hall was completed and named for former teacher, Professor A.S. Weston who died in 1946.

1952: The Grove Laboratories, Inc., name changed to Grove Laboratories, Inc., in August

1954: A field house was erected at Barton Field.

1956: 50th Anniversary of Founding of Grove High School program was held in the gymnasium on April 27.

1957: Grove Laboratories, Inc., and its subsidiaries acquired by Bristol-Myers Company on November 8.

1959: Grove Junior High School was built to house grades seven through nine on the Grove High campus.

1969: The last senior class graduated from Grove High with John Underwood as principal; a new consolidated high school, Henry County High School, opened on August 29 (long-range plans called for tennis courts and a swimming pool); Grove Junior High School remained on the campus.

1980: Grove Tower was placed on the National Register of Historic Places.

1985: After years of deterioration, Cavitt Hall was demolished.

1986: Grove Tower was saved through the efforts of the Save the Tower Association and was the community’s major Homecoming ’86 project; the Tower became the home of the Henry County Board of Education.

1996: E.W. Grove School became the nation’s first school for high school freshmen with a stand-alone campus.

2000: The Grove and Seely families were reunited at Cavitt Place (built by O.C. Barton as his home in 1916),the home of the Paris-Henry County Heritage Center.

2006: The Grove Centennial Celebration occurred on June 24 recognizing the 100th anniversary of E.W. Grove-Henry County High School (The School That Came From A Bottle), the construction of Grove Tower, and free public secondary education in Henry County.

Letter from E.W.Grove 1918

The Document is a Letter from E.W. Grove to Mrs. Dule Davis who was raising funds for a new Organ at the First Presbyterian Church in Paris in 1918. Grove had been a member of the church when he lived in Paris.

GROVE CHILL TONIC

Grove Chill Tonic bottles, one of the many products that made E.W. Grove and his original Paris, Tennessee investors, wealthy people.

Chill Tonic Bottle, pictured above, is: Aqua, oval, 5 7/8 inches tall
(This bottle manufactured after company moved to St. Louis)

Grove's Tasteless Chili Tonic was introduced in 1978 in Paris, Tennessee. The Paris Medicine Company, founded in 1879, moved to ST Louis, Missouri in 1891.

Grove Chill Tonic Bottle Screw Cap Type

Scan by Karol Conrad

This bottle was found 2001 in the home of Thelma Hopper (Burns) Cooper (1912 - 2001), after her death. Dresden, Tennessee

Provided by Frank and Margaret Burns Hooser,

This bottle was donated to The Paris-Henry County Heritage Center September 2003.

Dr. Edwin Wiley Grove - Memoriam

THE PARIS POST-INTELLIGENCER
208 East Wood Street
P.O. Box 310
Paris, Tennessee 38242-0310

From The P-I Files©
Reprinted from the Paris Post-Intelligencer and they retain full rights. Used by permission.

November 5, 2002

75 Years Ago,

Grove's Tasteless Chill Tonic was advertised at 60 cents per bottle. It was said to be particularly effective for pale, delicate women and children. A free box of Grove's liver pills would be included with each bottle sold.

October 29, 2002

75 Years Ago,

Edwin W. Grove Jr., president of the Paris Medicine Company was here in connection with the disposition of the Seely-Grove lawsuit concerning the will of his father, the late E.W. Grove. A son-in-law, Fred Seely, had sued the estate over control of the company or a sizeable bequest.

February 12, 2002

75 Years Ago,

The will of the late E.W. Grove, founder of Paris Medicine Company, was probated in St. Louis. Most of the estate, valued at between $10 and $25 million, went to his widow and children. Charities also received part of the estate.

February 5, 2002 Edition

75 Years Ago,

Throngs of local citizens mourned at the bier of one of the most successful and distinguished men Paris has ever produced. Dr. Edwin Wiley Grove. Grove died in his retirement home in Asheville, N.C. Last rites were said at First Presbyterian Church here and in joint memorial service for all the community was held at first Baptist Church. Grove had amassed a fortune as founder of Paris Medicine Co., and had invented a tasteless tonic which sold nationwide. He was a philanthropist of major note, having endowed Grove High School and other local entities. He was buried in the Grove plot in the City Cemetery.

February 6, 2002 Edition

75 Years Ago,

Condolences and accolades continue to pour in from all across Tennessee, following the burial of Dr. E.W. Grove at City Cemetery. The Memphis Evening Appeal had a lengthy editorial acclaiming his life accomplishments and his philanthropy. Among local benefactors of Grove's generosity was First Presbyterian Church. Grove had donated a large portion of the funds for the erection of the new church edifice. Grove's estate was estimated to be between $5 and $7 million.

GROVE FAMILY HISTORY

Raleigh Bottle Club - November 2001 Newsletter,

Paper Sack
Offered on eBay recently by , this is an original unused paper sack advertising GROVES CHILL TONIC made by the Paris Medicine Company of St. Louis, Missouri. These early 1900's bags were given to drugstores as free advertising. What I found especially interesting was the NC-related history they provided to go with this item:

Edwin Wiley Grove was born in Bolivar, Hardeman County, Tennessee in 1850. He moved to Paris, TN, and became a druggist. He invented and began selling Febriline and Grove's Tasteless Chill Tonic. The Paris Medicine Company was established in 1886, and moved to St. Louis, Missouri in 1889. The Tasteless Quinine Company was soon formed in Asheville, North Carolina. Grove had many business interests in Asheville, including The Manor, Albemarle Park, Battery Park Hotel, The Arcade, Grovemont, Lake Eden, and the famous Grove Park Inn. (which was furnished by Elbert Hubbard 's Roycrofters.) Grove died in 1927. Paris Medicine Co was renamed the GROVE LABORATORIES in 1935.

Paschal G. Traylor of Bolivar, Hardeman, TN. Paschal had two sisters, one of whom m Robert Vaught, who had a daughter who m W. F. Parmer. The other sister, Margaret Ann (Peggy) m Jacob Grove. They had 4 children: Eliza Jane Grove Williams, John Leonard Grove, James Henry Grove, Sally Ann Elizabeth Grove. Paschal G. Traylor had several sons with his first wife. We have no record of them. His second wife was Catherine Taggert/Taggart/Tigert. We have information about one child from this marriage, Richardson Mortimer Traylor, b 1846, Bolivar, Hardeman, TN, m Nannie (Nancy) Irene Walsh b McNairy County, TN. Both died in Bentonville, Benton, AR. Aunt Peggy Traylor Grove raised the children of James Henry Grove, one of whom, Edwin Grove, became the founder of Paris Medicine Company. J. D. Parmer, grandson of the Traylor daughter who married Robert Vaught, owned a cotton plantation, Schellowe Place, in Tunica, Tunica, MS. Aunt Peggy also raised Richardson Mortimer Traylor, s/o Paschal G. and Catherine Taggart Traylor. Family story is Catherine had red hair and brought with her a slave named Orange, who was known in Bolivar as Orange Traylor. Paschal G. may have been a river boat gambler. Our information is pieced together from Bible entries and oral information. Would appreciate any input that might provide corrections or additions. Contact Llobeau73750@yahoo.com

EDWIN WILEY GROVE HISTORICAL FACTS:

By DAVID W. WEBB,

1. Edwin Wiley Grove was born in Whiteville, Tennessee, in 1850 and moved to Paris in 1874.

2. He became a clerk in a drug store for Dr. Samuel Houston Caldwell, Nathan Bedford Forrest’s
battlefield surgeon, and A.B. Mitchum, a prominent Paris businessman.

3. Grove produced “Grove’s Tasteless Chill Tonic” in 1878 and established the Grove Pharmacy in 1880.

4. “Grove’s Tasteless Chill Tonic,” a preventative and treatment for malaria, quickly became a household
name. By 1890, more bottles of the chill tonic were sold than bottles of Coca-Cola.

5. The British Army made the tonic standard issue for every soldier going to mosquito-infested lands.

6. Grove’s principal investor, Col. O.C. Barton, became Paris’ first millionaire. In 1916, Col. Barton built Cavitt Place—now home to the local historical museum, the Paris-Henry County Heritage Center.

7. Grove formed the Paris Medicine Co. in 1886, which grew so large it moved to St. Louis in 1889.
Ownership and the board of directors remained largely in Paris.

8. The Paris Medicine Co. produced the world’s first cold tablets—Grove’s Bromo Quinine.

9. Grove established a summer residence in Asheville, North Carolina, in 1898.

10. Grove Park Inn was dedicated on July 12, 1913. William Jennings Bryan as the keynote speaker.

11. Grove spent $100,000 to build one of the nation’s first motor roads in North Carolina.

12. Thomas Wolfe in his book, You Can’t Go Home Again, criticized E.W. Grove for tearing down the old
Battery Park Hotel in Asheville and building a downtown area in its place.

13. In 1905, Grove became the principal stockholder in the Atlanta Georgian, which later became the
Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
14. According to family members, Grove bought one million acres in Mexico. He wanted to sell it to the
United States government to square off the U.S.-Mexico border. The plan did not materialize.
15. In 1902, the Henry County Court rejected Grove’s first offer to endow a public, tuition-free high school
due “to the Prevalence of smallpox for the past three years” in the
county and other reasons.

16. On July 3, 1905, Grove’s second offer was made to the county court and was accepted.

17. The cornerstone for E.W. Grove-Henry County High School was laid in a Masonic ceremony following
a parade from downtown Paris on June 26, 1906. Among other items, a chill tonic bottle and a package
of Bromo Quinine tablets were placed in the cornerstone.

18. Grove Tower was designed by Chattanooga architect, Reuben Harrison Hunt, who had designed the
Henry County Court House, built in 1896.

19. The high school became the first privately endowed public secondary school in Tennessee and the third
county public high school in the state—following Lake and Rhea counties.

20. Thirty students took classes in the Paris City Hall until the Tower was completed.

21. The school was one of the nation’s first institutions accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges
and Secondary Schools.

22. Grove Tower held the nation’s first vocational agricultural program under the 1917 Smith-Hughes Act.

23. Principal Dudley M. Clements was the nation’s first vocational agricultural teacher under the federal act
and was instrumental in creating the Future Farmers of Tennessee—a forerunner of the Future Farmers
of America—and established the nation’s first FFA leadership training camp in Doyle, Tennessee.

24. The school’s first graduation took place at a Sunday tent revival in 1908. There were two graduates.

25. Cavitt Hall, originally a girls’ dormitory, was built in 1910 and supported largely by Col. O.C. Barton.

26. In 1907, Grove provided uniforms for the school’s first football team, the Chill Tonics.

27. Grove sent money to purchase apples, oranges, and peaches for the students and regularly gave money
for other school needs.

28. Grove paid for much of the construction of First Presbyterian Church in Paris, where his funeral took
place in 1927.

29. Grove died in his new Battery Park Hotel in Asheville. His death made front-page news in St. Louis,
Asheville, and Paris. He is buried with his family in the Paris City Cemetery.

30. Grove began construction of the Grove Arcade, the nation’s first indoor shopping mall, in downtown
Asheville. The Arcade was completed two years after Grove’s death.

31. In 1996, E.W. Grove School became the nation’s first institution for high school freshmen with its own
campus. Grove Tower, placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1980, was restored as
a Homecoming ’86 project and became the home of the Henry County Board of Education.

E.W. Grove became a millionaire because of his pharmaceutical ventures. He founded the Paris Medicine Co. in 1886 and the company moved to St. Louis three years later.
Grove's Tasteless Chill Tonic became popular as a treatment and preventative for malaria. More chill tonic was sold in 1890 than Coca-Cola and the Paris Medicine Co. formed branch offices at an international level in such cities as London, Toronto, Buenos Aires, Argentina, and Sydney, Australia. Grove built the Grove Park Inn in 1913 in Ashville, N.C. The inn is still in business today. He began construction of Ashville's first shopping mall. Grove Park Arcade, in 1926. Construction on the mall was halted when Grove died in 1927. The unfinished mall was purchased in 1928 and completed with the first shop opening in 1929. The arcade later became a division of the federal government's General Accounting Office and in 1969, the primary tenet was the U.S. Weather Records Center. The arcade was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1976.

Grove Park Inn Ashville, N.C.

Grove Park Inn

Out Grounds Photo

Medicine Display at Grove Park Inn.

Medicine Display

Thanks to Howard Welch, Class of '52, for these photos of the well known Grove Park Inn.

Howard says the Inn is a nice place to stay and eat if you are in Ashville.

Bottle Cap

Grove Laboratories Bottle Collection:

The Following Grove items are from the collection of, and were provided to the web site by Mac Caldwell, Class of 1968. We greatly appreciate Mac sharing these items with the site.

Full Bottle of Grove's Tonic

Grove Chill Tonic Bottles:

Cork Top Bottle

Screw Top Bottle

Chill Tonic Bottle Box:

Chill Tonic Bottle Box

Pamphlet Advertisement:

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Quick Relief

Dr. Porter's Oil

Soothe Pain

Atkins-Porter School ~ Main Entrance:

Main Entrance

The main entrance to Atkins-Porter School. On these steps, dozens, if not
hundreds, of class photos were taken. At the time of this photo Atkins-Porter School was waiting for the wrecking ball. The story was; a heavy snow destroyed the roof.

The school was demolished in October 2002.

Paris and Henry County Tennessee:

Bygone Days

Photos and articles of Paris and Henry County.

Grove Tower Building:

Polishing A Landmark

Jose Avolas of Kermit B. Bruck and Son Inc. of Memphis works on refinishing the mortar between the bricks at the Grove Tower building this morning. Crews have been
restoring the building the past three years in different phases. The current phase of the project is expected to be completed by mid-spring with more work planned later.

Downtown Paris Carnival

Downtown Paris was transformed with a carnival during the early days of the World's Largest Fish Fry. Rides were set up on the court square, as seen here with riders enjoying rides on the Whip and Farris Wheel. During the years of the Fish Fry's
predecessor, Mule Days, a near tragedy occurred in 1938 when a support gave way on the Farris Wheel, causing it to tilt. Quick work by the carnival crew and others averted loss of life or serious injury.

Airplane Filling Station

Clarice "Sammie" Jobe Dunn is pictured in front of the station.

Now History,

The Airplane filling station, on Mineral Wells Avenue in Paris, for years was cited as a landmark for motorists wanting directions.

The station was designed and built in 1933 by Will Dunn. It was operated by Will and his wife "Sammie" until his death in 1945. After Will's death the station was operated by Sammie, her nephew Frank Brown and Frank's father.

Located at what is now the intersection of Mineral Wells Avenue and Memorial Drive, the current location of Walgreens (2004).

The station was designed to attract attention to the business and served as a land mark for giving directions. For years it and the Mineral Wells Resort were the only thing in the area. The Mineral Wells resort specialized in the mineral water of the area.

The station was demolished in 1960 when the State acquired the land to widen the road.

Princess Theatre

The Princess Theater and Cole's Cafe helped keep North Brewer Street viable in the 1940s. Youngsters could buy movie tickets for a quarter and hamburgers cost 30 cents. New cars could be bought for $2,500.

Scott-Fitzhugh Bridge:

Tennessee River

Big Paris Snow:

Early 1950's

Paris businesses from left:

Bob Humphrey's Paris Baking Company ~ Home of 'Sonny Boy' Bread.

Jack Moore's Barber Shop and Pool Room

Wesley Enderson's Silver Grill ~ formerly Grill Number 1

Back door of S. A. Snow & Son's Sporting Goods

Battle of Paris

Grove High School 1921

Herman Claxton Originates Polish

Has placed "Nu-Glos" on Market;
Sales Increasing Very Rapidly

Herman Claxton, electrician of this community, gets the credit for the invention of a remarkable polish product called "Nu-Glos." When young Claxton was studying chemistry at Grove High School he stumbled on the formula for this polish. He conceived of treating polishing cloths with the preparation and selling them. With Ed Manker of Memphis he formed the Southwestern Products company, rented factory space here, employed workers, and now the trade name "Claxman’s Nu-Glos" is to be seen on the striking orange and black containers and display cards in garages and hardware stores through out the south.

The polishing cloths, which come in attractive tin containers are said to be desirable for polishing automobile bodies and furniture. Placed on a polish it is also admirable for floor surfaces.

Mr. Claxton stated that the sales were much in advance of the output of the small factory but that he hoped to increase the output after the first of the year.

Tower Building In The Snow

Canton School ~ Henry County

Canton School

Henry County Training Center Faculty

Bettye Craig Hill was among faculty members at the former Henry County Training Center. In this photograph, which was taken in the late 1950’s or early 1960’s, are: (from left, front row) Bettye Hill, Elizabeth Harden, Lucy Olive, Darling Hudson, Pearlie Daniel Travis; (middle row) Mary Gardner, Versa Buckley; and (back row) Roland Atkinson, principal J.H. Harden and Evelyn Travis.

Julius Rosenwald:

Julius Rosenwald (1862-1932) founded the Museum of Science and Industry and built Sears Roebuck into America’s leading mail order house. But his most lasting legacy may be little known. Rosenwald, the son of German-Jewish immigrants, rose to become one of the wealthiest men in America as well as a beloved humanitarian whose commitment to social justice lead to historic change for Black Americans.

Inspired by Booker T. Washington, Rosenwald spurred the establishment of 25 YMCA-YWCAs to serve Black Americans in cities across the U.S., including the Wabash Avenue YMCA in Chicago. (Existing Y’s at the time served only whites.) In addition, he established one of the nation’s first housing projects, on Chicago’s South Side, and, with challenge grants, seeded the creation of more
than 5,000 schools for black children in southern states at a time when few received any public education.

The Liberty IV School:

Liberty School

The Liberty IV School, a one room schoolhouse on Hardy Road northwest of Henry, has recently been restored and is now a community center available to rent for social events.

By HEATHER BRYANT
P-I Staff Writer

When Phillip and Tammy Pilcher moved to Hardy Road northwest of Henry about eight years ago, they thought it as a shame the old Liberty IV School on that road had fallen victim to decades of harsh weather.
"It's just (that) you hate to see a piece of history fall apart," said Mrs. Pilcher.
The Pilchers purchased the old schoolhouse and surrounding land in 2004 and decided to take on the challenge of renovation.

The picture above shows some of the items that have been donated by former students and others.

Former Liberty IV students and family members of former students have donated items such as certificates, books and desks that were used at the school. "It's half museum, half community center" said Mrs. Pilcher.

Fairview Elementary School, Paris,

"Many people who went here (to school) in the community still live here," she said. "Each student has a different memory."

After talking to community members and researching the school through records at the Henry County Board of Education, Mrs. Pilcher discovered the school building was built in 1917 and was closed down in 1951. Liberty IV School was for grades 1-8, and was built after the previous school building as destroyed by fire.

Mrs. Pilcher said the idea as to preserve the history of the school while creating a nonprofit community center to have Social gatherings. The school can be used for class reunions, family reunions and school field trips. "It's a great place for outdoor weddings," she said.

Mrs. Pilcher said there are ponds and beautiful scenery surrounding the school that would make it a good wedding setting. The cost of renting the school for an event is $50, but $25 of that is a cleaning deposit that is returned if the school is cleaned after use.

There is a committee of community members that helps make decisions regarding the school.

"If anyone who was a part of the history of this school has anything they'd like to donate, we'd love to have it," said Mrs. Pilcher.

Fairview Elementary School, Paris, TN

John Bucy ('46) says he thinks the beautiful young teacher on the right of the photo is Marjorie Presnell.

Courthouse Circa 1900

Agriculture

Land Crops
"Diversified" is the word that describes agriculture in Henry County, Tennessee. There are farms in the county that produce almost any agriculture product. Corn, soybeans, wheat and tobacco are the major crops but commercial fruits and vegetables are produced on a few farms. Dairy, beef and swine operations comprise the bulk of animal industries but poultry and horse farms are here as well. Forestry is another important part of our farm economy.

Forty-eight percent of the county's landmass is considered farmland. The county is roughly equally divided into a western watershed, which eventually drains into the Mississippi River, and an eastern watershed, which drains into the Tennessee River. Topography of the western part of the county is nearly level, undulating or rolling while that of the eastern part is hillier. Excellent agricultural soils can be found in all parts of the county, however they are more abundant on the western side.

Henry County farmers are proud of the distinction of having a higher percentage of crops using no-till planting techniques than any other in the state. No-till is the rule instead of the exception in this county. A tradition of good land stewardship runs deep here.

Agriculture here is well served by agri-business. Four equipment dealers and two bulk seed and fertilizer dealers are located here. Several other out-of-county equipment and ag supply businesses serve the area as well. Grain can be marketed at three different local locations and at several within short hauling distances. There is a local stockyard and another in a neighboring county.

The county's population is very "farm friendly" with a high percentage having at least some farm background. There is an active Farm Bureau organization, a thriving county fair, active programs in 4-H and FFA, a county livestock association, a county Dairy Herd Improvement Association and a supportive Chamber of Commerce which hosts an annual Farmer Appreciation Banquet.

Sunset at Farm on Midway Rd.
Spring planting starts here with corn being planted in April. Single-crop soybeans are planted and tobacco transplanted in May. June brings wheat threshing with double-crop soybeans planted immediately into the wheat stubble. In August, dairymen chop corn silage and tobacco is cut. Corn shelling usually fills September and October. After corn shelling, soybeans are harvested with everyone expecting and hoping to be finished by Thanksgiving.

Cavitt Place
Heritage Center

Established in 1989, the Paris-Henry County Heritage Center is housed in Cavitt Place, the most prestigious mansion in Paris when it was built in 1916. Cavitt Place retains its original painted-glass windows, marble staircase and floors, ceiling and wall murals, and mahogany woodwork. This Italian Renaissance two-story home was called by one state historical expert “the jewel in the crown of Paris,” and is situated in the historic North Poplar Historic District.

Heritage Center
The Heritage Center has temporary exhibits and a permanent exhibit featuring the history of Henry County. The Center also has an oral history video library, a tape-guided historic walking tour of downtown Paris and North Poplar Street and other research resources. The gift shop features books, memorabilia and items made in and/or related to Henry County and Tennessee.

The Heritage Center is open Tuesday through Friday, 10:00 – 4:00 p.m. and on Saturday, 10:00 – 2:00 p.m. Special tours and times can be arranged by reservation. The building is also available for private parties, including weddings. Admission to the museum is free to the public.

Historical Photo's of Places in Paris, Tennessee

Hospital in Paris

The Veranda Bed & Breakfast is the perfect setting for a romantic getaway or a special event. With its beautiful gardens, gorgeous bedrooms, and two classic verandas, this lovely setting will sweep you away with its breathtaking beauty from the moment you set foot on the property.

At the Veranda, you are invited to leave your troubles behind and enjoy a pampering retreat including breakfast by candlelight or refreshments on one of our two verandas daily. Once you step onto the Red Carpet, we do our best to help you relax and rejuvenate during your stay.

From the historic surroundings, to your beautiful room, to the delicious breakfasts, you will find that the Veranda offers everything you'll need to unwind from the stresses of life.

The Wisteria Room
Featuring two large screen porches and a beautiful garden patio, this lovely bed and breakfast is surrounded by huge pecan trees and features a quiet sitting room with an antique gas grate and two uniquely decorated guest rooms. The Purple Room has a queen size bed and a large private bath with an antique clawfoot tub, while the Yellow Room has beautiful antiques, a view of the sunset in the evening, and a full private bath. Full breakfast served in the formal dining room or on the private veranda is included.

Evening Primrose Room
This room is painted in a soft but bright yellow, just a shade lighter than the lovely evening primroses that bloom right outside the window, with rich burgundy accents. It includes an elegant four-post bed and table for two, among other amenities. A private bathroom with shower is located right across the hall.