Paris, Ontario is a town located on the Grand River. First settled by Hiram Capron a native of Vermont who, in 1822, had emigrated to Norfolk County where he helped to establish one of Upper Canada's earliest iron foundries. He settled here at the Forks of the Grand in 1829, divided part of his land into town lots, and in 1830 constructed a grist-mill and named the town after the gypsum deposits that were being mined nearby. Gypsum is used to make plaster of Paris. The town of Paris is often referred to as the “cobblestone capital of Canada”, because of the many cobblestone buildings that are still standing.
The first long distance telephone call was made on August 10, 1876 by Alexander Graham Bell's father from downtown Brantford. Alexander Graham Bell received the call at what is now 91 Grand River St. North, Paris. It was a boot shop and a telegraph office at that time. Paris is also the transmitter site for a number of broadcast stations serving the Brantford and Kitchener-Waterloo areas.
