About Paris, Michigan

Paris is a township of 491 people in Huron County, in Michigan's Thumb. The township dates its settlement to 1839 and counts itself among the oldest Polish American communities in the country. Its name comes from Paris, Ontario, where many of the first families lived before they crossed into Michigan.

In 1854 three Polish families came over from Canada: those of John Woytlewicz, Ambrose Chuknowski and Anthony Slavick. They drained and worked the marshy ground until it turned into rich farmland. Gasimer Smolenski took up land in 1856 and put up a building for his home, and after that the area filled quickly. Paris was organized as a township in 1861, with Donald Gurry as its first supervisor.

  • Carried in on their backsStephen Pawlowski landed at Forestville in 1855 and hauled his tools and food on his back through streams and marshes to clear his farm. Back in Canada, describing the trees he had felled, he joked that he had cut only a hole in the sky. His wife joined him a year later and often walked 18 miles to Forestville for supplies while the men spent winters in the lumber camps.
  • The oldest orchard in ParisMiss Binenza, later Mrs. Charles Worchock, was a frail girl when she made more than 60 trips of 18 miles each for supplies, first for her parents and then for herself. Some of the fruit trees she carried in on her back were planted in the Pawlowski orchard, which became the oldest in Paris.
  • A grist mill in 1869The first mail reached Paris from Forestville. Eight years later a turnpike opened to Gato, the place now called Charleston, and the road was later extended to Minden. Until a grist mill opened in 1869, most grain was ground with a 100-pound stone. In 1874 the Susalla brothers built a saw mill at Parisville, so men no longer had to saw their lumber by hand.
  • Deer, wolves and fireDeer were so plentiful that John Woytlewicz shot one from the walls of Pawlowski's second log house while the men were raising it, and settlers rose at night to chase deer out of their crops while hundreds of wolves howled in the woods. Then the forest fires of 1871 and 1881 burned the timber and half the settlement, killing one entire family except the father, who was away.

Find your street

Names on the Paris map

Every name below is printed on this map. Look for your street, your school, the park where you played, or the pond down the road.

Places and landmarks2

  • Parisville
  • Verona State Game Area

Streets and roads19

  • Huron County Line Road
  • Huron Line Road East
  • Verona Road
  • Minden Road
  • Munford Road
  • East Atwater Road
  • Leppek Road
  • Priemer Road
  • Finkle Road
  • Polk Road
  • South Parisville Road
  • McDonald Road
  • Purdy Road
  • Helena Road
  • Maurer Road
  • Huronline Road
  • Atwater Road
  • East Huron Line Road
  • Mazure

Names are listed as they appear on the printed map. Zoom into the product photos to find them.

The art of mapping a place

How This Map Was Made

Real places. Remarkable detail. Discover the layers that turn geographic data into a map of home.

  1. Aerial imagery of Mendon, Massachusetts, from the USDA NAIP program

    The view from above

    Aerial imagery reveals the character of the land: woodland, open fields, and the patterns of a place.

  2. USGS elevation data rendered as shaded relief of Mendon, Massachusetts

    The shape of the land

    Elevation data brings hills, valleys, and subtle changes in the landscape into view.

  3. Closeup of roads, waterways, and buildings on the Mendon, Massachusetts map

    The details of home

    Roads, waterways, and building footprints come together to make the map feel unmistakably local.

  4. Finished Mendon, Massachusetts map shown in a black frame

    Geography becomes art

    Considered color, shading, and typography bring the layers together in a map made for your wall.

Process illustrated with Mendon, Massachusetts. Aerial imagery: USDA NAIP. Terrain: USGS 3D Elevation Program. Map details and finished artwork: KNOWOL.

The Details

About This Print

Choose an archival matte print, or a black or white Ayous wood frame. The archival matte print is unframed.

Select your size and finish above to see the matching product image and price.

Materials & Craftsmanship

A contemporary map with the character of a classic atlas, printed on archival matte paper. Optional frames are made from Ayous wood.

Your printed map does not include the watermark shown in the full-map preview.

Shipping & Delivery

Free shipping within the United States. Every print is made to order in the USA.

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Prints ship within 2 to 3 business days. Allow 7 to 10 days total from ordering for delivery. Timing may vary during holidays or periods of high order volume.

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Returns and damaged prints

Each print is made to order. Change-of-mind refunds are not available after production.

If your print arrives damaged, misprinted or incorrect, contact support@knowol.com within 30 days of receiving it. Include your order number, photos and a description of the issue.

Read our full refund and replacement policy. For questions about your order, email support@knowol.com.

Nearby

Maps of towns near Paris

Know someone from one of these towns? Their map makes a great gift.

More maps nearby: Sigel, Minden, Verona, Sherman and Austin.

See all 2017 Michigan maps