Randy Bigham

Pioneer citizen

The obituary of a well-known and revered Ennis pioneer was featured in the Statesville Record and Monitor on August 13, 1923. Mrs. S. S. Chambers was described as one of the city’s “most beloved citizens.” She was 85 years old, having been born in North Carolina in 1837. She came to Ennis in 1882 as the widow of Dr. James P. Howard, and resided here for 41 years until her death on Aug. 6.

Worry over the spread of Scarlet Fever was gripping Ennis in November 1923. According to the city’s health officer, Dr. W. P. McCall, there were four cases of the sickness and one known death resulting from it. McCall issued a warning, telling parents to “keep their children off the streets and out of schools when they show signs of illness, fearing spread of the disease.”

Husband and wife duo Floyd and Fay Casebolt first came to the EDN as editors in 1948, left briefly to launch a paper in New Mexico, and returned to the Bluebonnet City by the mid-1950s. The pair’s distinct personalities, their dedication to community reporting and their personal involvement in charitable programs made the Casebolts beloved figures for over 30 years.

Floyd was still editor when he died in 1985 while Fay carried on as social editor until 1993. She passed away ten years later.

After a period of comparative lawlessness in Ennis, the city was trying to clean up its act by the turn of the 20th century. But that effort might’ve gone too far when 24 well known citizens were arrested one night in 1901 for playing dominoes in a public place. Even the judge at police court found it absurd. He tried two cases, acquitting both offenders, after which the city attorney intervened to dismiss the remaining charges.