PARIS, Idaho — All eyes of the world are centered on their nation's Olympic athletes competing for gold at the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris, France.
Many can not make the 5000-mile journey to witness the games in person, but another city of Paris exists here in the Gem State. Nestled in the state's Eastern corner, North of Bear Lake, is Paris, Idaho. You may find some shades of French culture, but the Parisians stateside have their own unique culture.
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints settled in the town in September 1863.
Parallels to Paris, France, can be found 161 years later. An easy one is spotted on the signage of Petals in Paris, a colorful outlet for Summertime flowers. There is no Eiffel Tower in town, but you will find a signature French feature: pastries.
El Camino Donuts is owned by Clint Goodrich and is in the middle of downtown Paris, Idaho. They don't make baguettes, he burns the midnight oil baking donuts and cinnamon rolls.
“They are genuine Paris, pastries and donuts,” Clint laughs.
20 years ago, the Goodrich family mainly traveled through Paris, but three years ago, he settled in the town after a unique opportunity to open a shop, which prompted a permanent placement in Paris. Their historic building just draws you in.
“Ghost in the machine kind of thing. You hear noises, old buildings have noises, and there's lots of old history here. It was built in 1895. it started out as a mercantile, and then it was a grocery store for 50 years after that, called the old Bear Lake Market. And we've met several of the generational owners,” Clint said.
Certainly a risk, setting up shop in a small Idaho town.
“In the very beginning, there was a lot of skepticism about what we were going to do. And, if we were saying and, within a week after opening, we were literally overwhelmed by the local population and people traveling through. We had no idea what to expect,” Clint said.
New community energy for Paris, Idaho, now radiates from Main and Center Street. It’s not limited to pastries; another Paris parallel is found on the walls and halls of El Camino Donuts.
Caren Goodrich, co-owner with her husband, displays her original works through the shop, meticulous and colorful creations that create a unique gallery aesthetic.
“We're really overwhelmed with the positive reception that we've had,” Caren said.
Unlike The French Louvre, patrons in this Paris can buy art right off the wall.
“It's pretty fun being here. I usually specify I'm from Paris, Idaho, “ Caren said. “It's a fun name and it's part of the fun of being here, to have a name like that.”
It’s a name worth traveling for.
“We have people who come from Paris, France, and we always have a good laugh about being visiting the real Paris,” Caren laughs.
Caren’s art catches the eye quickly with beautiful colors and textures. Art is a French institution that goes back what seems like forever ago. Cave paintings as you head to the South of France. An inspiration that traveled many miles to land here.
“Petroglyphs and cave paintings are some of my favorite subject matter. I like the primitiveness of it. I think about what those people did with no supplies, just sticks and stones and whatever. However, they scratched into the into the rock,” Caren said.
If you are looking for caves, Paris parallels include that too. Outside of Paris, Idaho sits the Minnetonka Cave.
The State of Idaho proudly holds limestone rock formations that are truly remarkable and well worth navigating the 888 stairs deep into the Earth to see it all. It is a karst limestone cave formed from groundwater flowing through limestone and carving sinkholes and underground waterways. It hosts millions of years of still-developing drip formations.
No cave paintings here, there was actually very little human interaction with the cave until the early 1900s. But you will find breathtaking stalactites, stalagmites. Those formed as history passed in the outside world.
The original colonization of Paris predates the cave discovery, Colonization is credited to about 30 people, it soon grew to more than 700. A pioneer project of Paris still stands today. Paris, France has the Cathedral Notre-Dame originally completed in 1345.
Little more than 500 years later, in 1888, the LDS community of Paris, Idaho, completed the historic Paris Tabernacle. Brigham Young sent a team to establish the site. That included an engineer, Fred Perris, who surveyed and laid out the town.
Perris's name, not France, inspired the name Paris. But Fred spelled his name Perris, not Paris.
To this day, it’s unclear how the town name was communicated to Idaho leaders as Paris. Locals may tell you about the long running thought, somehow the Postal Service may have been involved.
Either way, the legacy of the Tabernacle stands as we speak.
Worldly influences from Europe and Australia can be spotted inside the stunning structure, a gorgeous house of worship. It holds about 1500 people, and every perspective inside is designed for a clear view of the pulpit. The locals tell me the Tabernacle is set for some major renovation work in the near future.
Also, during the hot summer, Paris locals enjoy Bear Lake.
France has the French Riviera, an icon of Europe. Shores lined with the French relaxing and enjoying the scenes. Some are brave enough to hop in for a swim in the Mediterranean. It’s a gorgeous scene, but the aesthetic of the water is tough to compare to what’s called the Caribbean of the Rockies. Beautiful shades of blue and turquoise at Bear Lake. An inspiration for Caren’s art.
“If I'm not mistaken, there's calcium carbonate in the water or at the lake bottom. That causes that. That turquoise color. But it's really probably the prettiest lake I've ever seen,” Caren said.
Colors and feelings are captured and hung on the walls of El Camino Donuts, a spot that has brought new energy into the historic town of Paris, Idaho.
“That's the vibe we get from our customers, and we hear that on a regular basis" Clint said. "So again, it's what's being shared with us. And, we feel the reflection. That's what we feel is our most successful thing.”