Ennis, TX

Ennis, Texas is famous for the bluebonnets that blanket the hills around the town every spring, drawing about 50,000 visitors each year to an annual festival during the third weekend of April. The Ennis Garden Club has laid out 42 miles of trails that the Texas Legislature named "The Official Bluebonnet Trail of Texas." The club provides free maps of trails through fertile farmlands and rolling hills where bluebonnets cover miles of grasslands. The club members provide information on the best areas for viewing the bluebonnets and other wildflowers. The bluebonnet was named for its striking resemblance to the sunbonnets of pioneer women.

Bluebonnets are not the only source of pride in Ennis, which celebrates its Czech heritage each Memorial Day with the National Polka Festival. It is the state flower of Texas for which Ennis is best known. The sweet-smelling blooms were beloved by the American Indians long before the Czech settlers arrived. A Comanche legend about the origin of the bluebonnets tells of the tribe’s struggle with starvation, cold, and disease. The Great Spirit told the chieftains that their most valued and cherished possessions should be burned and scattered to the four winds as an offering. A little American Indian princess overheard the council and sacrificed her beautiful doll with a headdress from a blue jay. The next morning, where the ashes had fallen, there was a beautiful spread of blue flowers the same shade as the blue jay’s feather. Regardless of how the flowers came to Texas, the bonnet-shaped blooms are a state treasure, especially in Ennis.

To see how Melanie Gentle, Village Prints artist, has preserved the historical heritage of Ennis, click on the Ennis, TX page. These prints make excellent gifts for all occasions--Christmas, birthdays, anniversaries, retirements, and other events.

Bennettsville, South Carolina Drawing

Founded in 1819 and named after Governor Thomas Bennett, Bennettsville quickly grew into one of the richest agricultural communities in the entire state. Legend has it that the land was so rich it once sold by the pound instead of the acre. To order a print of Bennettsville, SC, please click here: http://www.villageprints.com/drawings/south-carolina/bennettsville-sc.

Madisonville, Kentucky Drawing

Madisonville, KY, was founded in 1807 and named for James Madison (who was then Secretary of State). Madisonville was named the county seat of Hopkins County in 1808 and was incorporated in 1810. The courthouse in Madisonville was burned by Confederates in 1864, as they passed through western Kentucky. The policies imposed by the occupying Union armies caused resentment and sparked sympathy for the Confederate cause. Farming was the major occupation in Hopkins County for most of the 1800s, with tobacco as the leading crop. Around 1837 an outcropping of coal was discovered and the first coal mine in the county opened in 1869. Mining did not become a major industry until the Louisville & Nashville Railroad pushed its line southward from Henderson through Madisonville and toward Nashville in 1870. By the early 1900s, Madisonville was a rail hub, coal mining center, and had a large tobacco market. This continued until the 1960s when manufacturing and service industries came to the area. To order a print of Madisonville, KY, click here: http://www.villageprints.com/drawings/kentucky/madisonville-ky.

Louisville, GA Drawing

Louisville is a city in Jefferson County, Georgia. It is the former capital of Georgia and is the county seat of Jefferson County. It is located southwest of Augusta on the Ogeechee River. Louisville was laid out in 1786 as a prospective state capital since Savanah was considered too far from the center of the growing state. It was named for Louis XVI, who was still the king of France and had aided the Continentals during the successful American Revolution. Development of the city began later, and its state buildings were completed in 1795. The city of Louisville served as the state capital of Georgia from 1796 to 1806. Louisville's historic market house still stands in the center of downtown. The original market had sections for everything from produce and household goods to slaves. The market square became the hub of the transportation routes that centered on Louisville when the state capital was located there. To order a print of Louisville, GA, click here: http://villageprints.com/drawings/georgia/louisville-ga

Palatka, Florida Drawing

Palatka is a city in Putnam County, Florida. It is the county seat of Putnam County. The city is also home to St. Johns River State College, St. Johns River Water Management District Headquarters, and Ravine Gardens State Park. The area is well known for its local festivals, most notably the Florida Azalea Festival and the Blue Crab Festival.To order a print of Palatka, Florida, please check out this link: http://www.villageprints.com/drawings/florida/palatka-fl.

Lincoln, Arkansas Drawing

Lincoln is home to the Annual Arkansas Apple Festival, held every year in the first weekend of October. For many years, it has attracted visitors to the area who come to see the arts and crafts of the Ozarks. Apple growing was once a major agricultural industry in Lincoln, but has recently declined due to changing climate conditions and high costs of upkeep. The city of Lincoln was founded in 1907, and recently hosted a centennial celebration in July 2007. Lincoln is also home to the Arkansas Country Doctor Museum, which includes a collection of medical instruments and personal artifacts from the 1930 to 1960. To order a print of Lincoln, Arkansas, check out this link: http://www.villageprints.com/drawings/arkansas/lincoln-ar.

Gravette, AR Drawing

The original name of the first European settlement at this location was Nebo. The Nebo area is now referred to as Old Town in Chalk Valley and was the earliest pioneer settlement of the community. Ellis Tillman Gravett opened the Chalk Valley Distillery in Nebo and was also the proprietor of a general merchandise store. In 1891, he moved that store west out of the valley to what is now downtown Gravette. To order a print of Gravette, AR, check out this link: http://www.villageprints.com/drawings/arkansas/gravette-ar.

Ennis, TX

Are you longing for a memento of your birthplace, Ennis, TX? Are you searching for that unique gift for a loved one who has a special place in their heart for Ennis, TX? Do you belong to a club or organization that is looking for an unusual fund-raising idea? If you answered yes to any of these questions, you need to check out Village Prints.

Hartselle, AL

Located near Huntsville and Decatur, AL, Hartselle is the ideal destination for antique collectors . You can take a stroll through the historic downtown that prides itself on its excellent service, quality of merchandise and hometown atmosphere. With its beautifully renovated historic buildings, the downtown offers a mix of antique stores, for which Hartselle is famous; restaurants; gift and specialty stores. For those people who either live in Hartselle or grew up there, an excellent gift idea for any occasion is a limited-edition print of Hartselle, printed on parchtone paper. The composite print drawn by Melanie Gentle includes drawings of Burleson School, the Post Office, Depot, Railroad Street, and other landmarks. This 11" x 14" print sells for $35.00, plus $7.00 for shipping and handling. To order a print, call 256-767-0422 or check out Hartselle Alabama Print.