Step back in time and stroll through Paris in its early days!

By CasandraTurnbull

Mounties Report

Have you ever wondered how life was 100 years ago in Paris, Ontario?

As you stroll down the streets of this thriving little town, has it ever crossed your mind what the storefronts used to look like, or how many families lived in Cobblestone homes?

Get the answers to these questions and become more familiar with your hometown by joining one of two guided walking tours taking place in Paris this month On July 22, the Paris Museum & Historical Society presents a walking tour of the lower town with experienced guide Wayne Wilkinson. The following weekend on July 29th , longtime resident Marie Williamson will take walkers on a tour of upper town.

This week we’re taking a closer look at the lower town tour and what you can expect from this informative stroll through the streets of what used to be referred to as “lower town Paris.”

At 10 am on July 22, the tour starts at the Museum on Elm St.

“We walk up to Penmans dam on what was once the largest mill race complete with old photos. Did you know that Paris had two dams on the Grand River?” asks Wilkinson, who’s lived in Paris for more than 40 years “We’ll see both of them We discuss the historic railway bridge built in 1854 Then it’s off to the 1889 Arlington Hotel –see what it originally looked like Our next significant stop is the beautiful cobblestone 1845 home at 16 Broadway St with its unique features.”

There’s a lot of ground to cover in lower town that was booming by the turn of the 19th century, and then disaster struck.

“A major stop is on Grand River Street where we discuss, complete with lots of vintage photos, the Great Fire of September 1900 which destroyed over half of our downtown along with its restoration soon after,” previews Wilkinson.

The final stop is the little-known location of the first ever longdistance phone call by Alexander Graham Bell – only in Paris can you experience this kind of history! These are but a few of the historical locations we look at, said Wilkinson of the tour that usually takes about an hour and 20 minutes

The cost is only $10 to participate and interested residents can meet at the Museum next Saturday morning 15 minutes before the 10 am start. Preregistration is preferred but lastminute walkers are always welcome. The walks are weather permitting so if the skies look a little threatening you can always call the museum ahead of time to confirm the event.

“By the way, do you know why the “Gem” is called the ‘Gem?’” Wilkinson asks? “Come and see why!”

Stay tuned to next week’s Paris Independent for Marie Williamson’s sneak peak of the upper town tour taking place on July 29th Visit the Museum online for registrationinformation