During WWII, because of rationing, Andrew J. Paris (1919-1997) and his family had no sweets to sell in their Detroit, MI. tobacconist shop. In 1942, in Mexico City, Paris found an ample supply of candies and chewing gum to save his family's store. In 1945, he established an import business in McAllen bringing in gum from Mexico. In 1946, he converted Mexican chewing gum factories to bubble gum production and cornered the latex market. In Feb. 1947, LIFE magazine dubbed him the "Bubble Gum King." On Oct. 1, 1947, the Paris Gum Factory opened in McAllen, employing fifty Hispanic women in the air-conditioned building, with sales worldwide. The Art-Deco factory designed by Lucile Hendricks of McAllen closed in 1955. Recorded Texas Historic Landmark - 2012
Paris Gum Factory
The roadside stories worth pulling over for.
Paris Gum Factory is a historical marker in McAllen, Hidalgo County, dedicated in 2012. It is one of 138 historical markers documented in Hidalgo County in the Texas Historical Commission Atlas, among 236 historic sites cataloged across the county.
The site sits at 26.2025, -98.2261 near McAllen. The nearest cataloged historic site is McAllen Lodge No. 1110, A. F. and A. M. (historical marker), about 0.4 miles away. Others within a short drive include First Presbyterian Church of McAllen, Archer Park, and Casa de Palmas.
This record corresponds to Texas Historical Commission Atlas #5507017235. Use the map below for its exact position and turn-by-turn directions.
Get Texas Roam — all 28,000 sites in your pocket
See this site and every marker, cemetery, courthouse, museum and landmark across Texas on one live map — find what's near you, get directions, and check in as you roam.
