The History of Paris

Hiram Capron, was born to a well established and hard-working family in Leicester, Vermont on Feb. 12, 1796. He was a remarkable man with many sides to his personality. He was shrewd, determined, and driven by ambition. He was a hard-working leader who led by example. He was a tireless promoter doubly-blessed with unerring marketing skills and a gift for the written word. He enjoyed great financial acumen and his meticulous record-keeping ensured his success. He was visionary, entrepreneurial and well read. He was kind, compassionate, and humble. And yet he was comfortable with being called "King" Capron and dubbed himself the "Father" of Paris.

His journey to Paris started near the village of Manchester, about 20 miles south of Rochester, New York when he was 22 years old. Theophilus Short was reputed to be his uncle, but whether an uncle by marriage or the term used for a dear family friend is not clear. Nevertheless, he was a wealthy, influential businessman with wide-reaching commercial interests. Short had founded and operated a brickyard in Richmond, NY and had then moved to Manchester where he'd purchased 500 acres along a stream called the Canandaigua Outlet. On this stream he built flour and saw mills and invested money in a Manchester blast furnace. He not only gave young Hiram a job, he provided him with an example to follow.

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Hiram started out as one of Short's bookkeepers, but within months he was given the position of superintendent of the blast-furnace. Realizing ownership was the path to prosperity, Hiram began looking for an opportunity to purchase his own business. He came to Canada to look over an iron-ore foundry in the bogs near Normandale on the shores of Lake Erie. He decided he wanted to purchase it and began looking for partners.

One of Capron's talents seemed to be finding people with the skills he needed and forming partnerships that would benefit all of them. His partners in the blast furnace reflect this. George Tillson, a patternmaker with money to invest; Joseph Van Norman, a moulder and Isaiah White shared 50% of the venture. Capron, with the backing of Short, owned the remainder.

The 1820's were years of new beginnings for Capron. The foundry was purchased in 1821 and and named The Long Point Iron Furnace and by 1822 Capron, Tillson and Van Norman had moved to Canada. Three momentous events occurred in 1823. Because it was a prerequisite to owning land, Capron gave up his US citizenship to become a British subject. He met an enchanting Quaker girl named Mary De Long. But even more life-altering, he visited William Holme, a customer who owned land at the forks of two rivers. In 1824 Hiram and Mary married. In 1826 he his first daughter, Charlotte, was born and son, William, followed in 1828.

During these years Capron worked diligently and soon had 20 men working in the foundry, which he single-handedly managed. He also took the role of travelling salesman, selling the pots, stoves and various items they produced. It was on one of these selling jaunts that he paused on the King Street hill and looked down on the valley that was to become Paris. This moment was described in Capron's own words "I gazed spellbound upon the beautiful valley, then in its natural beauty and rugged grandeur, before the ax had robbed it of its stately oaks and wide-spreading elms. And before mounting my horse, I made up my mind to own this lovely vale." 4

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What Capron saw from his vantage point was two rivers meeting at the base of the valley. He knew that the water power derived by these rivers would provide power for industry of every sort. But more importantly he saw the white patches of gypsum clearly visible along the riverbeds. This soft white mineral would be the basis for the first industry - plaster for the interior and exterior of buildings and fertilizer for farmer's fields - and it was there for the taking.

William Holme, a Quaker gentleman, owned the land. Another Quaker, William Curtis, lived with Holme for a while and eventually moved into Brumhill Farm at what is now the end of Curtis Ave. S. Holme, Curtis and David DeLong (Mary's father) all came from Dutchess County, New York and all met socially in Norwich where there was a large Quaker settlement. Undoubtedly, Holme and Capron met there, but Holme was also a customer of Capron's.

When Capron first visited this area, Holme had already begun clearing farm land and had built a small raceway to create waterpower to grind plaster.

In 1828 Capron sold his share of the Long Point Iron Furnace. The business was successful and he was ready to move ahead.

In February 1829 he" commenced bargaining" with Holme for 1,000 acres, his buildings and his plaster rights. A price of $10,000 was finally agreed upon. This gave Capron ownership of a block of land ending at the forks in the south and bounded on the east by the Grand River. (In 1835 he later bought a strip of 600 acres giving him ownership south to Dundas St. Most of the land lying south of Dundas St. was owned by Robert Rosebrugh.)

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In May of the same year Capron, Mary and their two small children arrived to take up residence in Paris.

The next decade proved to be years of planning, progress and prosperity for Capron. In January, 1830 he wrote to his brother Horace stating he had hired surveyor Lewis Burwell to lay out a town plot, and outlined the crops he had planted; the additional land he had purchased; the tradesmen and industry he'd attracted to the settlement and the fact that he was trying to raise money to improve the Governor's Road, a vital link to bringing settlers and business to his village. This letter is a good example of Capron's "good cop, bad cop" style of writing. I can only imagine that Horace sighed and turned his eyes heavenward when he received this missive. I won't re-print it in its entirety, but these excerpts will give you the idea: It begins with the date and just below, the notation "4 o'clock, Morning" "I have delayed writing a long time, daily expecting a letter from you, but I wait in vain. I am extremely anxious to know if you purpose to come here in the spring, as I am making every calculation and arrangement in business for your coming, and shall be disappointed if you fail." Hiram goes on to relate a multitude of things he's done, including purchasing the next lot east from Mr. Dickson and instructs Horace to "bring money to pay $121.00 per year. He goes on to say:" You will please write as soon as you receive this and let me know what you are calculating to do as I ought to know in due season. If we obtain, as we expect to do about $4,000 to be laid out on the Governor's Road, I should like the job in case you come as money may be saved. We are wanting by you the following: say $1,000 cash, 2 horse collars, 6 or more good whip-lashes of Johnson's best make, as much bedding and clothing as you have and can borrow when you come away. Be sure and settle your business early this winter as everybody will wait for the last day and you will be hindered ten days after you are ready. The earlier you are here the better, as I am laying out work for 6 or 8 men and want you should oversee them." Hiram discusses more business and then abruptly closes the letter with "I have nothing more to say - we are well." And signs it H. Capron.

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Clearly, Hiram expected both physical and financial support from his family. He wasn't disappointed. Horace arrived as asked. It's also clear who is doing the leading and who is expected to follow. Brother Walter arrived in 1834 and several other members of the extended Capron family settled here. The support that Hiram received from members of the Capron family was likely the biggest key to his success.

Although many of Hiram Capron's letters and documents have survived, we can be sure that many didn't. So we have an incomplete picture, but an interesting one as far as Capron's business and family life.

One thing is clear. Capron understood the word "infrastructure" long before it became a buzzword in our own time. He realized that if the village was to thrive and he was to become wealthy he needed to provide the basis for progress. He had Lewis Burwell survey and lay out a town plan. He attracted industry by digging raceways that would provide water- power. And he knew the value of a good road passing through his settlement. The road, like the rivers would provide a flow of goods and people. Later, he was just as quick to realize the value of the railroad servicing the town.