Paris was incorporated on June 20, 1793; and on the organization of Oxford County in 1805, became its shire town. The town gave land to Hebron in 1818, and to Oxford in 1838; and annexed land from Buckfield in 1828.
Originally Paris Township was large enough for two towns. This became a reality in 1957, when West Paris was set apart and incorporated as a separate town. The village of North Paris was included under West Paris, while Paris included South Paris, the commercial and chief population center, and Paris Hill, which is primarily a residential community.
Paris was the home of one Vice President of the United States, Hannibal Hamlin who served with President Abraham Lincoln in his first term. Paris has also been home to four Governors of the State of Maine, Albion Parris, Enoch Lincoln, Hannibal Hamlin and Sidney Perham.
Paris is located on top of a Paleozoic bed of quartz crystallization called Pegmatite, in which many semi-precious gems and rare minerals can be found; among them beryl, garnet, tourmaline, amethyst and smokey quartz.