Book on Ennis history still popular
By Randy Bigham
All roads lead to history. At least that was the idea behind a book project that writer Laurie Wilson took on seven years ago, together with fellow local historian Peggy Rankin.
Ennis: Images of America, the first full-scale pictorial history of the Bluebonnet City, was released in 2009 by Arcadia Publishing, which specializes in regional photographic studies.
Rankin, a longtime Ennisite whose family, the Baldridges, was among the city’s pioneers, said at the time the book was published that “I think it will be great for the city of Ennis.”
Her words were prophetic. The book is still in print and popular with locals, from longtime citizens to new transplants.
“A little while ago I picked up a copy at Walgreens,” said new resident Ann Kaufman. “I knew there had to be some interesting history to this town but I had no idea how much!”
Wilson is happy to know the book she researched over a period of several years is still being read and enjoyed.
No stranger to history, she has been scoping out Ennis’ past since moving with her family to this city a decade ago. She and her husband Michael are proud guardians of their own significant piece of local heritage –– their West Tyler St. home was once the residence of noted architect Hix McCanless who built many of downtown Ennis’ signature structures, from City Hall to the Citizens National Bank Building, all dating to the turn of the early 20th Century.
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