Paris is a city and

county seat A county seat is an administrative center, seat of government, or capital city of a county or civil parish. The term is in use in Canada, China, Hungary, Romania, Taiwan, and the United States. The equivalent term shire town is used in the US st ...

of Bear Lake County,

Idaho Idaho ( ) is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the Western United States. To the north, it shares a small portion of the Canada–United States border with the province of British Columbia. It borders the states of Montana and Wyom ...

, United States. Located on the western side of the Bear Lake Valley, the city's population was 513 at the 2010 census, down from 576 in 2000. Paris was settled on September 26, 1863, by pioneer settlers of

the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, informally known as the LDS Church or Mormon Church, is a Nontrinitarianism, nontrinitarian Christianity, Christian church that considers itself to be the Restorationism, restoration of the ...

. Paris was settled by a group of dedicated

Mormons Mormons are a religious and cultural group related to Mormonism, the principal branch of the Latter Day Saint movement started by Joseph Smith in upstate New York during the 1820s. After Smith's death in 1844, the movement split into several ...

led by

Charles C Rich Charles Coulson Rich (August 21, 1809 – November 17, 1883) was an early leader in the Latter Day Saint movement. He led one of the first groups of Mormon pioneers west from Illinois under the leadership of Brigham Young after Joseph Smith's mur ...

. During early years, pioneers suffered difficulties with the harsh cold climate, however their determination and faith kept them from leaving the area. Paris is the location of the

Bear Lake Stake Tabernacle The Bear Lake Stake Tabernacle, or Paris Tabernacle is situated on main street in Paris, Idaho, is a Romanesque red sandstone meetinghouse of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints designed by Joseph Don Carlos Young, the son of Brigham ...

, a sandstone church designed by

Joseph Don Carlos Young Joseph Don Carlos Young (May 6, 1855 – October 19, 1938) was an American architect and the Church Architect for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) from 1887 until 1893. In 1893, the office of Church Architect was disso ...

and built between 1884 and 1889. It seats around 1,400 people.

History

Paris was founded by

Mormon pioneers The Mormon pioneers were members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church), also known as Latter Day Saints, who migrated beginning in the mid-1840s until the late-1860s across the United States from the Midwest to the S ...

, under the direction of Charles C. Rich on September 29, 1863. The settlers believed the town to be located in Utah until a survey in 1872 showed that it was in Idaho.

Geography

According to the

United States Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau (USCB), officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the U.S. Federal Statistical System, responsible for producing data about the American people and economy. The Census Bureau is part of the ...

, the city has a total area of , of which, is land and is water. Paris lies in a high valley of the

Rocky Mountains The Rocky Mountains, also known as the Rockies, are a major mountain range and the largest mountain system in North America. The Rocky Mountains stretch in straight-line distance from the northernmost part of western Canada, to New Mexico in ...

, at nearly in

elevation The elevation of a geographic location is its height above or below a fixed reference point, most commonly a reference geoid, a mathematical model of the Earth's sea level as an equipotential gravitational surface (see Geodetic datum § Vert ...

. Due to the high elevation, cold winters, late springs and mild summers are the norm for Paris and the area. Most of the surrounding country is used for ranching.

Demographics

2010 census

As of the

census A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording and calculating information about the members of a given population. This term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common censuses incl ...

of 2010, there were 513 people, 202 households, and 144 families living in the city. The

population density Population density (in agriculture: standing stock or plant density) is a measurement of population per unit land area. It is mostly applied to humans, but sometimes to other living organisms too. It is a key geographical term.Matt RosenberPopul ...

was . There were 299 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 97.9%

White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no hue). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully reflect and scatter all the visible wavelengths of light. White on ...

, 0.4%

African American African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American" generally denotes descendants of ens ...

, 0.2%

Asian Asian may refer to: * Items from or related to the continent of Asia: ** Asian people, people in or descending from Asia ** Asian culture, the culture of the people from Asia ** Asian cuisine, food based on the style of food of the people from Asi ...

, 0.6% from

other races Other often refers to: * Other (philosophy), a concept in psychology and philosophy Other or The Other may also refer to: Film and television * ''The Other'' (1913 film), a German silent film directed by Max Mack * ''The Other'' (1930 film), a ...

, and 1.0% from two or more races.

Hispanic The term ''Hispanic'' ( es, hispano) refers to people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or Hispanidad. The term commonly applies to countries with a cultural and historical link to Spain and to Vic ...

Latino Latino or Latinos most often refers to: * Latino (demonym), a term used in the United States for people with cultural ties to Latin America * Hispanic and Latino Americans in the United States * The people or cultures of Latin America; ** Latin A ...

of any race were 2.3% of the population. There were 202 households, of which 27.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 64.4% were

married couples Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognized union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children, and between t ...

living together, 4.5% had a female householder with no husband present, 2.5% had a male householder with no wife present, and 28.7% were non-families. 26.2% of all households were made up of individuals, and 12.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.54 and the average family size was 3.11. The median age in the city was 40.2 years. 27.1% of residents were under the age of 18; 5.7% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 22.9% were from 25 to 44; 27.9% were from 45 to 64; and 16.6% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 51.5% male and 48.5% female.

2000 census

As of the

of 2000, there were 576 people, 218 households, and 168 families living in the city. The population density was . There were 292 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 99.13%

, 0.35%

, 0.17% Native American, 0.35% from

of any race were 0.69% of the population. There were 218 households, out of which 37.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 71.1% were

living together, 4.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 22.5% were non-families. 22.0% of all households were made up of individuals, and 12.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.64 and the average family size was 3.09. In the city, the population was spread out, with 30.7% under the age of 18, 7.6% from 18 to 24, 21.0% from 25 to 44, 24.5% from 45 to 64, and 16.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females, there were 93.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 95.6 males. The median income for a household in the city was $40,341, and the median income for a family was $45,000. Males had a median income of $32,500 versus $20,313 for females. The

per capita income Per capita income (PCI) or total income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. It is calculated by dividing the area's total income by its total population. Per capita i ...

for the city was $15,725. About 3.8% of families and 6.2% of the population were below the

poverty line The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for t ...

, including 5.0% of those under age 18 and 11.9% of those age 65 or over. LDS Seminary Paris Idaho

Arts and culture

The Paris July 4 Celebration is the big event of the year, a tradition that brings people from miles around. Starting off with the KVSI fun run (8.6 miles) from the KVSI radio station in Montpelier ending in Paris where the City of Paris chuck wagon breakfast is held at the finish line. The Bear Lake Pageant is held at the Paris Tabernacle followed by a parade that runs through the city. The event concludes with a youth rodeo at the Paris rodeo grounds.

Infrastructure

* -

U.S. Route 89 U.S. Route 89 (US 89) is a north–south United States Numbered Highway with two sections, and one former section. The southern section runs for from Flagstaff, Arizona, to the southern entrance of Yellowstone National Park. The northern sectio ...

, to Montpelier (northeast) and

Logan, Utah Logan is a city in Cache County, Utah, United States. The 2020 census recorded the population was 52,778. Logan is the county seat of Cache County and the principal city of the Logan metropolitan area, which includes Cache County and Franklin ...

(southwest)

Notable people

Arthur Shepherd Arthur Shepherd (February 19, 1880 – January 12, 1958) was an American composer and conductor in the 20th century. Life and career Shepherd was born in Paris, Idaho, into a Mormon family. His family loved to sing and his father, William N. ...

(1880–1958), composer

References

External links

{{Authority control Cities in Bear Lake County, Idaho Cities in Idaho County seats in Idaho Populated places established in 1863