By Shannon McFarlin News Director
Paris, Tenn.–The newest downtown Paris mural–called ‘The First 100 Years’–was dedicated Tuesday. With Paris and Henry County celebrating their Bicentennials, the mural depicts people, homes and scenes from the first 100 years of local history.
Paris Artist Dan Knowles introduced the crowd to the people in the mural, telling their histories and why he chose to place them on it.
He thanked local masons Wolfgang Rackl and Luka Barlic, who performed the masonry work on the west alley wall where the mural–along with two earlier Knowles’ murals–are located.
Among the people depicted in the mural are WWI Hero Keith Tharpe and Educator Oma Allen. Paris City Commissioner Sam Tharpe provided information on Tharpe and Allen. Tharpe is related to Keith Tharpe and brought Gene Tharpe of Mansfield, who is the son of Keith, to the mural dedication.
Tharpe said Keith Tharpe was one of 12 siblings born to Albert and Sue Ellen Tharpe, former slaves of Col. William Tharpe, of Mansfield. Keith joined the Armed Forces and served in Europe. He farmed his land the rest of his life.
Oma Allen was a teacher in the Trainar community in Henry and earned $25 a month. Her husband was Rev. Eddie Allen, pastor of Cedar Hill Baptist Church in Cottage Grove. They had three children: Lucy Olive, a teacher in the local schools; Roy Allen and Dr. Leo Allen.
Others in the mural are: Chickasaw Chief Tishimongo and his wife; Francis Marion Collier, who built the first brick courthouse in Henry County; the Famed David Crockett, who owned land in the local area; two unnamed slaves whose images he gleaned from photos of local slaves; Tennessee Governor Isham Harris of Paris; Tennessee Governor James A. Porter of Paris, father of public education in the state; Justice Howell Jackson of Paris; Governor Thomas Rye of Paris; Nurse Nellie Chase who saved local lives during the Yellow Fever epidemic but lost hers in the process; unnamed schoolchildren, WWI Soldier Keith Tharpe; John Irion, freedman and businessman; SJ Veltman, long-time Paris businessman who brought water to Paris; and Oma Allen.
He also noted the L&N Railroad depicted in the mural, which he called the ‘foundation of middle class wealth’ in the local area when Paris became a major stop on the Railroad; the Henry Station where an old-time singing convention is depicated, and the historic homes of that era.
Knowles thanked the people who helped him with research on the people in the mural and thanked former Downtown Paris Association Director Kathy Ray, who along with former City Manager Carl Holder were an impetus for the mural project. There currently are historic murals in all the alleys around the courtsquare in downtown Paris.
Photo: Looking at the mural at today’s dedication–from left, George Combs, Kathy Ray, Dan Knowles, Gale Tharpe, Sam Tharpe and Gene Tharpe. (Shannon McFarlin photo).