Paris in Lamar County, Texas — The American South (West South Central)

William J. McDonald

Photographed by Duane and Tracy Marsteller, May 2, 2026

1. William J. McDonald Marker

Inscription. Lamar County native William J. McDonald (1844-1926) was a lawyer and banker who endowed the bulk of his fortune to the University of Texas (UT). After attending school and working in Clarksville, he returned to the area in 1886 to open the First National Bank of Paris. He was a lover of natural sciences, especially astronomy. Near the home of A.C. Paul on East Kaufman Street, McDonald often viewed the stars through a telescope. When he died, he left UT an endowment of 1.5 million dollars for an observatory. UT entered a 30-year operational partnership with the University of Chicago in 1932, and McDonald Observatory was dedicated in 1939 on Mount Locke near Fort Davis in west Texas.

Erected 2022 by Texas Historical Commission. (Marker Number 23527.)

Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Charity & Public Work • Education • Science & Medicine. A significant historical year for this entry is 1939.

Location. 33° 39.58′ N, 95° 33.329′ W. Marker is in Paris, Texas, in Lamar County. It is at the intersection of 1st Street Southeast and East Kaufman Street, on the right when traveling south on 1st Street Southeast. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Paris TX 75460, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is in the American South

and in the Piney Woods.

Globally, it is in North America,

a Gulf of Mexico state,

the Western Hemisphere,

the Western World,

and the Anglosphere.

Historically, it finds itself in what was once New Spain,

the Republic of Texas,

one of the Confederate States of America,

and the Antebellum South.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance

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of this marker: Paris Fire Department (within shouting distance of this marker); First Baptist Church of Paris (about 300 feet away, measured in a direct line); Robert Cooke Buckner (about 300 feet away); Origin of 1896 Paris Fire (about 300 feet away); Gibraltar Hotel (about 400 feet away); First Coca-Cola Served in Texas (about 500 feet away); Central Presbyterian Church (about 500 feet away); The Paris Fire, 1916 (about 600 feet away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Paris.

Photographed by Duane and Tracy Marsteller, May 2, 2026

2. William J. McDonald Marker

William Johnson McDonald (1844-1926) image. Click for full size.

Unknown; via Wikimedia Commons (Public Domain)

3. William Johnson McDonald (1844-1926)

Although he earmarked the bulk of his fortune for the observatory, his $850,000 bequest was unexpected and his will was contested. Lengthy legal proceedings, and the fact that the university had no astronomy department, delayed the observatory's construction by more than a decade.

McDonald Observatory image. Click for full size.

Eric S. Kounce via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0), October 29, 2006

4. McDonald Observatory

The 82-inch Otto Struve Telescope was the second-largest in the world upon its dedication in 1939. The 107-inch Harlan J. Smith Telescope was added in 1968. The observatory's third telescope, the massive 390-inch Hobby-Eberly Telescope, was built on a neighboring mountain in 1997.

Credits. This page was last revised on July 3, 2026. It was originally submitted on May 31, 2026, by Duane and Tracy Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee. This page has been viewed 2 times since then. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on May 31, 2026, by Duane and Tracy Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee. 3, 4. submitted on July 3, 2026, by Duane and Tracy Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee.