Lamar County Fair
Paris, Lamar County, Texas
Marker Inscription
Five Paris businessmen founded the Lamar County Fair Association in 1911: Guy S. Caldwell (1875-1937), C. J. Musselman (1884-1951), John C. Gibbons (1895-1936), Rube Wells (1859-1951), and Dr. M. L. Maxwell (1865-1939). Each of the men invested one hundred dollars to begin the venture, and Henry Clement loaned them property on which to erect fair buildings. The fair property served as an emergency relief camp and shelter following a major fire in Paris in 1916. The coliseum, designed by architect J. L. Wees, was completed in 1921 and has been the site of many activities. Texas Sesquicentennial 1836 - 1986
Erected by Texas Historical Commission
The Story
In 1911 five Paris businessmen each put up a hundred dollars to launch the Lamar County Fair Association, borrowing land from Henry Clement to raise the first fair buildings. The grounds proved more than a showplace for prize livestock and produce—after a devastating fire swept Paris in 1916, the fair became an emergency relief camp for the displaced. The 1921 coliseum, designed by architect J. L. Wees, went on to host decades of community gatherings.
Why it matters
County fairs were the civic and agricultural heart of small-town America, and grounds like these doubled as refuges in times of disaster.
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Related people
- · Guy S. Caldwell
- · C. J. Musselman
- · Henry Clement
- · J. L. Wees
Related events
- · 1916 Paris fire
Themes & tags
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