DFW / North Texas
Lamar County, Texas
A local guide to the county: the stories that give it a shape, practical checks, and a few things worth knowing before they surprise you. Every note points to its source.
13 stories · 4 practical · 2 good to know
The practical part
Lamar County offices and deadlines
Appraisal district & tax office →
The Comptroller's official directory for Lamar County: who sets your value and who sends the bill.
Homestead exemption →
File Form 50-114 with the appraisal district. It is free. The regular deadline is April 30, and late filing is allowed for up to two years.
Protest your appraisal →
The usual deadline is May 15, or 30 days after your notice arrives, whichever is later.
Estimate a tax bill →
Model a bill from local rates, the homestead exemption, and the appraisal cap.
Start here
A little of what makes this place itself
Lamar County · Courthouse Square
The Courthouse Still Carries Granite From the 1916 Fire
The 1917 Lamar County Courthouse rose after the great Paris fire, with salvaged granite from the older courthouse built into the new one.
Lamar County · Local Fishing
Lake Crook Is a Smaller City-Owned Reservoir Near Paris
Lake Crook sits 5 miles north of Paris and is known for catfish, though the lake is managed by the City of Paris.
Lamar County · Trail Life
Trail de Paris Turns a Cross-Town Corridor Into a Walk
Trail de Paris links local walking and biking in Paris to the longer Northeast Texas Trail corridor.
All 19 local notes
The full county shelf is mixed so stories and useful checks travel together. Use the filters when you need one kind.
Showing all 19 notes.
- Stories & local character History & Culture The Courthouse Still Carries Granite From the 1916 Fire The 1917 Lamar County Courthouse rose after the great Paris fire, with salvaged granite from the older courthouse built into the new one.
- Practical Outdoors Pat Mayse Lake Is the County's Largest Public Fishing Spot Pat Mayse Lake covers nearly 6,000 acres north of Paris and offers public fishing and boating with no special permit required.
- Stories & local character Outdoors Lake Crook Is a Smaller City-Owned Reservoir Near Paris Lake Crook sits 5 miles north of Paris and is known for catfish, though the lake is managed by the City of Paris.
- Practical Outdoors Pat Mayse WMA Offers Public Hunting and Hiking An 8,925-acre wildlife management area on the west side of Pat Mayse Reservoir is open to the public for hunting, fishing, and hiking.
- Good to know Home & Property Check FEMA Flood Maps Before Buying Near Creeks or Rivers Lamar County has both the Red River and the North Sulphur River, so flood zone status matters for many rural and riverside properties.
- Stories & local character Outdoors Trail de Paris Turns a Cross-Town Corridor Into a Walk Trail de Paris links local walking and biking in Paris to the longer Northeast Texas Trail corridor.
- Practical Money & Taxes The Homestead Exemption Lowers Your School Tax Bill Texas law requires school districts to take $140,000 off the appraised value of your primary home before calculating your school tax.
- Stories & local character History & Culture Bywaters Park Has a 1931 Peristyle Beside the Library A small park on South Main keeps one of downtown Paris's graceful 1930s public features in everyday view.
- Practical Money & Taxes Who Appraises and Who Collects Your Property Taxes Two separate offices handle your property taxes in Lamar County: one sets the value, the other handles payment.
- Good to know Home & Property Lamar County Has a Real Tornado Risk Each Spring Lamar County sits in a corridor of North Texas where tornadoes occur, especially in spring — the April 1982 outbreak was a significant example.
- Stories & local character History & Culture Roxton's Creeks and Trestle Still Shape the Town Roxton sits between Denton Creek and Cane Creek, where an old railroad trestle now belongs to the Northeast Texas Trail.
- Stories & local character Rules & Licenses There Is a Seasonal Alligator Gar Restriction on the Red River During May, taking or possessing alligator gar while on the Red River in Lamar County is prohibited under TPWD rules.
- Stories & local character History & Culture Culbertson Fountain Gives Downtown Paris a Front Porch Culbertson Fountain anchors Downtown Plaza with a historic fountain, seating, picnic tables, and lights for evening use.
- Stories & local character History & Culture Evergreen Cemetery Is Where Paris Keeps Its Stone Stories Evergreen Cemetery began in 1866 and still holds vivid Paris history in stone.
- Stories & local character History & Culture Paris Burned Twice and Rebuilt Both Times Major fires in 1877 and 1916 destroyed much of Paris, which is why most of the older downtown buildings date from the early 20th century.
- Stories & local character History & Culture Paris Junior College Has Served the Area Since 1924 Paris Junior College is a long-established community college in Lamar County that offers both academic and workforce programs.
- Stories & local character History & Culture The Sam Bell Maxey House Preserves a Slice of Reconstruction-Era Texas A state-owned Victorian home in Paris interprets how a prominent local family lived through Reconstruction and into the early 20th century.
- Stories & local character History & Culture Blossom Grew From a Prairie Post Office Into a Rail Town Blossom began as Blossom Prairie and grew after the Texas and Pacific Railway made it a shipping point.
- Stories & local character History & Culture Lamar County Was Founded in 1840 and Named for a Republic President Lamar County was created by the Republic of Texas in 1840 and named for Mirabeau B. Lamar, the fourth president of the Republic.
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