Sorry, you need to enable JavaScript to visit this website.

Around Town

Memories of Ennis - The legend of Sugar Ridge

Article Image Alt Text

Ennis in its formative years wasn’t exactly squeaky clean but it managed to seem sweet. Along with saloons and “gambling dens,” there was rumored to be a string of houses of ill repute near the city on a rural road in the Bristol area known as Sugar Ridge. This area is wellknown to wildflower lovers during bluebonnet season.

Latin music downtown, May 1

Article Image Alt Text

In tribute to the May 5, 1862 one-day war in which Mexico, with the support of the United States, defeated France in the Battle of Puebla, Ennis will “bring a Hispanic cultural celebration to our downtown,” says event host Amelia Valdez, of City Real Estate en Espanol.

The Cinco de Mayo Cultural Celebration will take place next Saturday, May 1, from 5-10 p.m. at Minnie McDowal Park. City Real Estate en Espanol is the title sponsor. Valdez, a mainstay in business and community life, has made it clear that everyone is welcome to the free event.

Memories of Ennis - Sparkman Smokehouse

Article Image Alt Text

The 1925 smokehouse on the Sparkman Farm at Bristol has been painted many times during Bluebonnet Trails, capturing the romance of the locale and its flowers. Courtesy of Trinity Arts Photo Club

Memories of Ennis - The Bluebonnet Sandwich Shop

Article Image Alt Text

The following nugget of interest, which I mentioned in an earlier column, is relatedto bluebonnets. It has to do with the hamburger stand that Ellis County-born Rose Stivers operated for years in Dallas. I wrote about her a while ago and, if you remember, the name of her café was “The Bluebonnet Sandwich Shop.”

Citizens Accused 04/18/2021

Article Image Alt Text

Traeveon Dashun Kirven, 23, Ennis. Possession CS PG 1 LT1G. Booked on 04/14/2021 by ECSO. *The individuals listed above are persons booked in Ellis County by local authorities. An arrest is not an indication of guilt.

Memories of Ennis - The first “Trails”

Article Image Alt Text

The first Bluebonnet Trails event was hosted by the Ennis Garden Club in 1952. The Denton Record Chronicle of April 3 of that year announced this new project: “A trail covering approximately 48 miles has been laid by a committee from the garden club, sponsoring organization for the free-of-charge event which promises to be an annual attraction. Maps may be obtained from filling stations at the intersections of Highways 34 and 75 in Ennis.”

 

Memories of Ennis - Lakeside Bluebonnets

Article Image Alt Text

A column in the Grand Prairie Daily News in 1955 by that city’s Garden Club president Charmian Akins, refers to the bluebonnets in Ennis. She wrote that they were prettiest at the Lakeside Country Club: “On the highway circling the Lakeside Country Club, where the bluebonnets are outrageously prodigal, there are picnic benches and shade. And although there were about a hundred cars touring this stretch of the trails, the Boy Scouts dispatched traffic so efficiently as to prevent any congestion

Brookdale to host free webinar

Article Image Alt Text

In honor of tax month, we’re tackling a big topic at our next webinar - money. Secrets to try to set yourself up for the retirement you want? Best ways to save for senior living? Medicare coverage? Estate planning? Get these questions and more answered by the experts. Plus, get the inside scoop on what senior living costs and why. The webinar will be held on Wednesday, April 21, 2021 at 4 p.m. The speaker will be Lynette Khalfani-Cox, author, co-founder, The Money Coach. This virtual event is free to all who wish to participate. To register, please visit brookdale.com/intheknow.

Class of 1981 to Meet

Article Image Alt Text

The class of 1981 will meet on Wednesday, April 21, 2021, at 7 p.m., at SPJST, 1901 E. Ennis Ave.

Memories of Ennis - Where The Bluebonnets Grow

Article Image Alt Text

The 2020 cancellation of the Ennis Bluebonnet Trails Festival for only the second time in its 59-year history didn’t stop the memories of this city-defining event and this year hopes that it will resume have come true.

This month the trails opened April 1 as usual and all of April is devoted to the appeal of the legendary Bluebonnet Trails, first mapped out in 1952 and still attracting locals and tourists alike.

All the historical news items of local happenings in this article relate to the bluebonnet and our city’s celebration of the state flower.