PARIS, Tenn. — There are dozens of places across the globe that don the name "Paris." In West Tennessee, Henry County is home to its own Parisian city.
In preparation for the Olympics, WBIR decided to send me, Anchor Katie Inman, on a road trip to check out the sites and sounds of the community sharing the same name as this year's host city.
In the three days I spent there, I learned so much about the people, places and purpose pushing this place forward.
Paris, Tennessee, is nearly a fourth in size compared to its French namesake but has quadruple the amount of southern hospitality in just one city block.
One of the main roadside attractions is a 60-foot steel replica of the Eiffel Tower. It sits in the appropriately named Eiffel Tower Park. At night, the monument is aglow with different colored lights, depending on the time of year.
The tower is a backdrop to a slew of city events. Concerts, celebrations, fundraisers and games bring the area to life year-round. Surrounding the statue are playgrounds, a splash pad complete with its own Eiffel Tower slide, an Olympic-sized swimming pool, tennis, pickleball and volleyball courts along with soccer fields and a disc golf course.
"We have more people that come to that park from everywhere... and we have folks who come here and propose," said Paris Mayor Kathy Ray. "You know fun things, like 'well I told you I would bring you to Paris,' so it's always fun."
Paris is filled with plenty of history. The city was founded in 1823, making it the first place to be incorporated in all of West Tennessee, according to Ray. It was named in honor of Marquis de Lafayette, a hero during the American Revolutionary War, who visited the state in the early 1800s.
A window into the past in Paris is the historic courthouse downtown, in the middle of the city's court square. It is the oldest courthouse in West Tennessee. The clock on top is original to the building, but Ray says it needs some upgrades.
"The courthouse was built in 1896, and we are refurbishing the clock tower because the mechanism is 1896," Ray said. "So we are bringing it up to date, because it chimes every hour."
It is important to the mayor to keep the history of the city alive because she said not enough people know the story of their hometown. The downtown area has over 30 murals on the sides of buildings and in alleyways to help bring that history to life.
The businesses in downtown Paris are mostly all local and family-owned. Boutiques, restaurants, shops and offices line the streets of Court Square and beyond.
Katie Griffey, the co-owner of Bo and Co., a men's and women's apparel shop, said the hometown roots of each business owner not only makes the community feel more close knit, but also makes the shopping experience so special here.
Her shop is over a century old. She bought it from a man down the block and moved the business into its current spot. The building she's in now, used to be a saloon.
"Our downtown is just such a welcoming community, we're vibrant, we have so many wonderful stores, mostly small boutiques and locally owned, family operated, it's so nice," Griffey said.
Griffey is a University of Tennessee alum, and the connection to Knoxville runs deep all across the city, in multiple ways.
Smokey's current handler, Ryland Perry, is from Paris. UT also has a football videographer, Jake Gearin, and walk-on quarterback Ryan Damron who are Paris natives.
Sally Lane's Candy Farm in Paris is world-famous for its chocolate and mints, including its orange and white checkerboard "TN Mints." The Rocky Top roots run deep with Vols fans and alumni.
While there are no French restaurants, or French-themed foods awaiting your stay in Paris, Tennessee, there are plenty of one-of-a-kind eateries complete with comforting dishes.
I ate at two local spots during my stay. Trolinger's is a famous BBQ joint and butcher shop, well-known for their flavor and family atmosphere. Uncle Billy's is a lunch spot and serves wraps and sandwiches in a cozy atmosphere downtown.
One of the newest spaces in downtown Paris is called Paris Station. It's a restaurant, brewery and event venue all rolled up into one building as big as a city block. It was once a mule and horse barn, called a livery, and was built in 1909.
The co-owner of the business, Anne Marie Tanner, is staying true to the space's roots while also looking toward the future.
"We're kind of a wonderful, Americana, traditional downtown, small town, but yet the younger generations need reasons to stay here, work here, live here, play here, so I think that's what Paris Station does," Tanner said. "It becomes a community space, or a third home, to the community residents, and then a destination for anyone coming to West Tennessee."
A huge draw to Paris and Henry County is Kentucky Lake. It is the largest man-made lake in the country and covers over 160,000 acres. It's a place where families, locals and visitors can float, boat and sightsee year-round.
The Tennessee Valley Authority chose to flood farmland in that area to create dams and the huge body of water in the 1940s. Because of that decision, many people had to pivot their plans, including Rachel McKee's great-grandfather, John Buchanan.
He created Buchanan Resort in 1946, after discovering there was a desire to rent boats and head out on the lake. Today, the resort and marina have multiple areas where campers can stay, play and spend time in nature.
Rachel McKee and her husband, Josh McKee, are the managers of the resort now. They are the fourth generation to take ownership of the business. They say, from the very start, the focus has been on making memories for families.
"The resort was started to create memories and to have a safe place for your family to come to spend the weekend or spend the week," Rachel McKee said. "I would say it's a hidden gem. I think Kentucky lake is an absolute hidden gem, and a lot of people don't know that we're here."
"It's just such a vast lake," Josh McKee said. "You can actually get to Knoxville from here. You could also get to New Orleans from here."
The Eiffel Tower is not the only obvious symbol for Paris. As you drive into downtown, you are greeted with a huge catfish flying over a welcome sign.
Paris is known as the site of the "World's Biggest Fish Fry." Every year, during the last full week in April, fish fanatics from all over the country come to Henry County to chow down.
"We cook about 12,000 pounds of catfish, 60,000 hush puppies in four days, and we have a wonderful festival, parade and a lot of things to do at the fairgrounds, and things happening all over our community," Mayor Ray said.
The city embraces catfish beyond that week, though, and the slippery symbol can be seen swimming everywhere: from murals to fried fish baskets and statues — the fish are hard to miss.
Dozens of catfish statues are placed throughout Paris, all painted in a different design, outside of local businesses, offices and schools. It's a sort of scavenger hunt and a fun way to see town.
The Paris-Henry County Chamber of Commerce said there's already a list of over two dozen places that want a fish outside their place to paint next. The chamber also has a map of where all the fish stand, so you can make a day out of the hunt.
In all, Paris is such a pleasant place, and perfect for a weekend trip or tourist visit. Once you go and learn about what the area has to offer, you will be in awe of everything packed into the small town.
Rachel Steedly with the Paris-Henry County Chamber of Commerce showed videographer David Raborn and I around throughout the week, making sure we were fully immersed in the unique and kind culture during our three full days there.
I want to extend a sincere thank you to everyone in Paris who took the time to educate two East Tennesseans about what it means to be a "Parisian."