Paris High School - Arena Yearbook (Paris, IL)

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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.

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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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History of the Arena A few years ago several people connected with Paris High School decided to establish something in which to keep a complete record of the happenings during the school year. Several of the most capable students, co-operating with the faculty, published a book in 1910 called the Arena.” This name seemed suitable; as the arenas of the Middle Ages displayed the glories and pageants of ancient Rome, so this book recorded and revealed the events of the school year. Due to some objections to the title, the next year it was called the Pee Aitch Ess,” but since 1912, with the exception of 1915-1916 when a quarterly magazine, The Clarion,” replaced it, the Arena” has been edited yearly. Every year one teacher has sponsored the Arena.” Miss Zulu Wright has been in charge for the past few years, but Miss Slemmons, Mrs. Dodds, Miss Pansier, and Miss Tate have each shared a great amount of the responsibility in the past. The following is a complete roll of the students who have served as Editors and Business Managers during the lifetime of the Arena.” Editor-in-Chief Business Manager 1910 Ira Allen Walter Bond 1911 Elmore Allen Sylvian Sholem 1912 Richard Leitch Don Hamilton 1913 Jerome Sholem Asa Myers 1914 Eugene Allen Paxson Link 1915 Kenneth Shumaker Walter Davis 1915 Margaret Laughlin Eloyd F. Taflijigcr 1916 Orval J. Bandy Floyd F. Taflingcr 1916 Margaret Laughlin James Propst 1917 William Henderson Helen Propst 1918 Emily Beth Doak Richard Brewis 1919 Jane Hunter Colwell Sam Doak 1920 Marcella Beebe 1921 Martha Logan Whitney Corwin 1922 Alan Shoaff Charles Jenks 1923 Everett Rinesmith Charles Whalen 1924 William Colwell Calvin Stuart 1925 Leo Wade William Link 1926 Harlan English Harlan Watson 1927 Betty Lou Hunter 1928 Carl McGowan Robert Sanders 1929 Lucille Snedcker Henry S. Tanner 1930 Virginia Andrews . Dean Watson 1931 Maude Elizabeth Dorsctt Charles H. Green —Charles H. Green, ’31.