Tour the grounds Hiram Capron developed in the early 1800s

Paris Museum & Historical Society’s guided walking tour of Upper Town July 29th

By Casandra Turnbull

Fascinated with history? Want to feel more connected to your hometown and its origins? Look no further than the Paris Museum & Historical Society’s summer walking tours.

Next Saturday, July 29th , Marie Williamson will guide you through the streets of Paris’ Upper Town, examining layers of history that piece together the very fabric that formed this community. The meeting location for this walk is St. James Anglican Church (8 Burwell Street), says Williamson.

“We will start our tour at the second oldest ecclesiastical building in the County of Brant, the unique St. James Anglican Church, first being the Mohawk Chapel,” she explains. “See the beautiful insides of this building as you register for the tour before 10 am.”

The Upper Town Tour was designed to take walkers down the exact roads Hiram Capron first developed after he discovered and later purchased the land known as The Forks of the Grand. Capron travelled the province selling pioneer pots and pans. He eventually bought the land and moved to Paris in 1829. After leaving the initial meeting point of the tour, Williamson will bring you across the road to the historic Wolverton House (click here to read a Paris Past column about this gem!).

As you continue down Grand River Street S and take in the views of historic homes with interesting, breath-taking features, you will come across the site where villagers would cross the Grand River in the early 1800s. The tour ventures past Levi Boughton’s estate (he built most of the cobblestone homes in town) and as you climb the hill you enter the section of town where Paris really flourished – the site of former Inns, schools and businesses.

“Do you know who the first speaker of the Provincial Parliament was or where the oldest Inn is? Discover interesting facts about our town,” Williamson encourages.

It's the interesting answers to questions like these that fascinate Williamson. She’s led the guided tour for over 10 years now. It’s special to her for many reasons, but mainly because she was born and raised in this part of town, so her guidance comes from a passionate place.

“I’m a lover of history and since joining the museum, I have been fascinated by what I have discovered about the history of our town,” she said. She joined the Paris Museum and Historical Society as treasurer in June of 2000 and has been volunteering ever since.

If you’re interested in joining the tour, preregistration is strongly encouraged. You can call 519-4429295 for more information This tour is approximately one and half hours long and includes some rolling hills, appropriate footwear is suggested. If you cannot make the July 29th tour, the next Upper Town Tour takes place on August 26th .

And if you’re reading this article bright and early on July 22nd , and you have no plans this morning, show up at the Syl Apps Community Centre for a Lower Town Tour today at 10 am! (Click here to read last week’s article about this tour).