Paris High School - Arena Yearbook (Paris, IL)

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Pioneer Days in Paris ■•MaaawGii LINCOLN’S FIRST INTRODUCTION TO PARIS is shown representing Mr. John Hunter, one of the old pioneers of Paris, in a suit against a Mr. Nolan, in which he received a fee of five dollars for his services. The original jury was gathered in the old court room and posed for the drawing. The figure of Lincoln was inserted, but outside of this the sketch really shows the actual scene in this trial. The above picture was captioned Abraham Lincoln’s First Introduction to Paris.” Whether or not this migration of the Lincoln family through Paris is authentic, we cannot say. But Mr. Floyd M. Davis is the authority for the statement that Lincoln actually passed through Paris when his family was moving from Indiana to Decatur, Illinois. Mr. Davis tells us that Mr. John C. Means, one of our old residents, had said that he remembered seeing the Lincoln family pass through Paris, and it was from his description that the artist, Mr. Taylor, made the sketch shown above. The usual mode of travel in that day and age was the covered wagon, drawn bv a team of oxen. Every migrating family would take all its worldly possessions, usually consisting of household goods, along in the wagon with it. As we know this was customary, we can easily imagine that the Lincoln family looked very much as Mr. Taylor has pictured it.

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Pioneer Days in Paris ABRAHAM LINCOLN’S FIRST CASE IN EDGAR COUNTY ing, and that meant that many documents were misplaced and probably destroyed. Around the outside of the plot were stretched heavy chains, fastened to large posts. This was for the accommodation of the farmers who used the same as a hitching rack. It was a common sight to see wagons, buggies, and even ox teams standing almost the entire day around the whole square. It was in this old brick court house that Abraham Lincoln tried many law suits, for Edgar County was on the circuit in which he practiced. In the files there were many papers and documents written out in long hand by Mr. Lincoln because, of course, in those days there were no typewriting machines. These papers were, in many cases, signed by Mr. Lincoln, but no particular care was taken to safeguard them, and almost anyone showing authority could go through all the court files. At some time or times someone has cut the signatures of Mr. Lincoln from these documents, or in many cases have stolen the whole paper. This seems too bad, for since Lincoln practiced law here in our court, those papers should have been left for future generations to see. It is said that when Lincoln was here he delighted to visit with our citizens, and that it was a common occurrence for him to have a crowd around him in some local store, and to tell story after story to an interested audience. Mr. Taylor has reproduced a scene of one of Mr. Lincoln’s first trials. In the picture he

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Pioneer Days in Paris ■ T'tuL h» « I ».. ((Mi H k C«i»l S(m»( W SV«U tv In»c-V %vV U Am 16 S - Vv c»Xt J U . k . H . k uu iv CCh|iujl m TL. W- lu K Gx «w I |l»v. ywl vC. 4 k tC 4- «« - THE ORIGINAL PARIS HOTEL The first real hotel of Paris stood on the same site as our Hotel France. Richie Patton was the proprietor. He was a hatter by trade, but he did not make much of a success at this in Paris, so he became a hotel manager. In 1840, he put up a simple log house; but he soon moved this back and, using it only as a kitchen, built his hotel in front, on the street. There, as the demand justified, he built additions, and connected a row of houses by building in between them. It did not present a very harmonious effect, but it did serve to house all the travelers that came this way, and these must have been many, for Richie Patton prospered greatly.' Abraham Lincoln made his home at this hotel, and for over ten years he had a room reserved. This room was on the second floor, and the windows faced on the alley to the west. Up until 185 5 this hotel was called the Green Tree Hotel. After that date it went by the name of Paris Hotel. One section of the original building was moved back on Washington street, to the site where Lincoln and Douglas, in 1857, held their joint debate. It was remodeled by George W. Patton, a son of Richie Patton, but the room occupied by Mr. Lincoln was left just as it always had been. It was occupied by Mr. Patton until his death. eorge Dole, ’31.