Lamar County
Paris, Lamar County, Texas
Marker Inscription
Created December 17, 1840 from Red River County. Organized in 1841. Named in honor of Mirabeau B. Lamar, 1798-1859. Father of Texas education. President of the Republic of Texas 1838-1841. Lafayette, 1841, Mount Vernon, 1843, Paris, originally called Pinhook, 1844, have served as county seat.
Erected by Texas Historical Commission
The Story
Carved from Red River County in 1840 and organized the following year, Lamar County honors Mirabeau B. Lamar, second president of the Republic of Texas and a champion of public education remembered as the 'Father of Texas education.' The county seat wandered in its early years — from Lafayette to Mount Vernon before settling at Paris, a town first known by the homely name Pinhook.
Why it matters
Lamar's push to set aside land for schools helped establish public education as a founding value of Texas, a legacy carried in the county that bears his name.
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Related people
- · Mirabeau B. Lamar
Themes & tags
Nearby & related markers
Antioch Cemetery and Old Antioch Church of Christ
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