Ennis receives Texas historical marker for bluebonnet fields

ENNIS, Texas - The City of Ennis received an official Texas historical marker for their fields of beautiful bluebonnets ahead of their 73rd annual Ennis Bluebonnet Trails Festival.

Local perspective:

The Ennis Garden Club president, Annie Wartsbaugh, talked about the long-awaited recognition as the history of the flowers is promoted all over the little town of Ennis. 

"For 74 years, members of the garden club have worked to promote the city of Ennis as a place surrounded by beautiful fields of bluebonnets and native Texas wildflowers," said Wartsbaugh.

Ellis County Judge, Todd Little, talked about what the Texas historical marker means to the community of Ennis.

"It recognizes the area of Ennis where the people came to build a direct railroad, and they saw the beauty of the bluebonnets and decided to make a community," said Little. "Now today we call this community Ennis, Texas."

Mayor of Ennis, Cameron Raburn, said visitors come from all over to experience the picturesque attraction with 40 miles of trails lined with the colorful Texas state flower.

"We have over 40 miles of bluebonnet trails here in Ennis, Texas. Last year we had over 150,000 people that came to the city of Ennis to check out our bluebonnets," said Raburn.

In April 2024, as fate and science would have it, Ennis was identified as ‘the’ spot on earth for the longest viewing experience of the total solar eclipse. 

It drew massive numbers of people to the town and exposed even more folks to the treasured bluebonnet fields and the flower Ennis, Texas now officially calls its own.

What they're saying:

Seeing the Ennis bluebonnets has been a lifelong dream for Kelly Mellen of Marianna, Georgia. 

Mellen’s visit today is perfectly timed with a special commemoration of the city of Ennis receiving a prestigious and official Texas historical marker cementing its place in bluebonnet history, which dates back to the 1930s.

"I wanted to make this trip all the way from Georgia to see the Texas bluebonnets. I’ve heard about them pretty much all of my life, and I wanted to see them for myself," said Mellen.