Paris
This pioneer Idaho town was founded Sept.
26, 1863, when a wagon train brought more
than 30 families of Mormon colonizers.
More pioneers soon followed, some living in huts of quaking
aspen and others building log cabins for the mild
first winter. Next spring 700 more people arrived
in the valley. The second winter was terrible,
but the settlers persevered. They thought
they were in Utah until an 1872 boundary survey
showed this was part of Idaho. When
Bear Lake county was created in 1875,
Paris became county seat.
