Ever heard someone say he is from Paris only to learn he means Paris, Texas? How about Dublin? These are but two of the many cities (towns) in Texas that have the same name as really famous cities in other countries. If you visited every one of these Texas spots, you could say you’ve almost traveled around the world. Well, almost.
Athens—the county seat of Henderson County, this town got its name because it was expected to become the cultural center of the state, much like its namesake, Athens, Greece, was the center of its country
Bogata—this small town of about 1,500 residents in Red River County is positioned 33.46 degrees north of the equator and 95.21 degrees west of the prime meridian
Dublin—located in Erath County, this town is probably best-known as the home of the oldest Dr Pepper bottling plant (the only one to still use pure cane sugar)
Edinburg—the county seat of Hidalgo County, this city was originally named Chapin, but because Dennis B. Chapin was tried for murdering a man in San Antonio’s Buckhorn Saloon, it was decided that the town’s name be changed; a young businessman, John Young, named it after his birthplace, Edinburgh, Scotland (along the way the h was dropped)
Hebron—In 1990 the population of this small town in Denton County was 1,128; it was named after the Biblical town of Hebron
Paris—There is more than one version as to how the county seat of Lamar County got its name: one claims that there was a store called Pinhook, so when another store was built on a nearby hill, it was called Paris; another version claims that Thomas Poteet, who worked for the town’s prominent entrepreneur, suggested the hamlet be named in honor of his hometown, Paris, France
San Juan—Located in Hidalgo County, this town was named for John Closner; the State Historical Marker erected at the city’s library reads: "The town of San Juan was established in 1910 with the sale of 406 acres of land to the San Juan Townsite Co. by area entrepreneur, John Closner for whom the town was named. . . ."
Stratford—this town in Sherman County was established in the middle of the night in May 1901 when the Sherman County records were moved from the former county seat, Coldwater, to land owned by Walter Colton; Texas Rangers were called in to settle the dispute (Stratford won)
Victoria the county seat of Victoria County, this settlement was established in 1824 by Martin De Leon (he named it Nuestra De Guadalupe De Victoria, but the name was shortened to Victoria following Texas’ independence); the early settlers lived along a street known as La Calle De Los Diez Amigos ("The Street of Ten Friends")
