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.

Corsicana, Texas

Is anyone reading this blog who grew up in Corsicana, Texas? Did you know that your hometown was named by Jose Antonio Navarro, a famous Texas statesman, who was one of the signers of the Texas Declaration of Independence . The county is named for Navarro. When he was asked to name the town, his response was "Call it Corsicana in honor of the island of Corsica, the birthplace of my father." The Corsicana/Navarro County Chamber of Commerce reveals more interesting tidbits about their famous town. Anyone looking for Corsicana art can see Michelle Rideout's beautiful pencil drawing of the town by clicking on this link: http://www.villageprints.com/drawings/texas/corsicana-tx/. These limited-edition prints make excellent gifts for any occasion. Many people purchase one for each of their children and grandchildren. Anyone who grew up in Corsicana, TX and later moved away will treasure one because it brings a little bit of home back to them.

If you are from Corsicana, TX, you surely know about the town's famous fruit cake. Corsicana is best known for its Corsicana fruit cake, baked by the famous Collin Street Bakery and marketed under the name "Deluxe." The cake is possibly the world´s most famous and is shipped each year to every state in the nation and more than 290 foreign countries. I have visited the Collin Street Bakery several times and enjoyed their delicious cakes.

Corsicana is also famous because oil was first discovered west of the Mississippi River in this Texas town by a drilling firm that was searching for water for the growing town. Thus, Corsicana became the first Texas oil boom town. Corsicana was the site of the first use of crude oil as fuel for locomotives. The state's first oil refinery--known today as Mobil Oil was built in Corsicana. The Texas Company, Texaco also traces its origin to Corsicana. Russell Stover Candy Company built its largest plant in Corsicana. Russell Stover is the nation's largest handmade candy company.

Corsicana, Texas is just one of the towns that the Village Prints artists have captured on paper. Village Prints has completed pencil drawings of more than 300 towns in Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Texas and has produced limited-edition prints of these drawings. The originals are pencil drawings, featuring composites of outstanding landmarks and historical buildings such as those in Corsicana, Texas.

Art prints, which portray the historical and architectural heritage of Corsicana, Texas, quickly become collectors' items. Each print is signed and numbered. The prints are especially appropriate for professional offices. Some professional people have collected all of the prints of their particular regions.

Pencil Drawing of Fayetteville, Arkansas

Michelle Thompson Rideout created this drawing of Fayetteville, Arkansas, which was used as a fundraiser to benefit the Children's House, a nonprofit, therapeutic day treatment center for preschool children who have been extremely neglected, and/or physically, emotionally or sexually abused. The Fayetteville civic club that sponsored this project had this to say about artist, Michelle Rideout:

"Michelle Thompson Rideout is fast becoming a modern day Norman Rockwell. Concentrating on towns of the South, she is one of the region's most prolific artists in capturing small town Americana.”

Rideout graduated from the University of North Alabama with a bachelor of science degree in graphic design. Soon afterwards she began working with her father, Tommy Thompson, also known for his sketches of Southern towns.

Rideout's composite pencil drawings reveal a meticulous attention to detail, which gives a delicate quality to the overall print. Her prints have often been used for fundraisers, raising money around the country and receiving greater prominence through features in national magazines.

Rideout has done drawings of the homes of the late record producer Sam Phillips and late author Alex Haley. Because her art prints are limited editions, they represent an investment that increases in value with time.

Greenwood, South Carolina Drawing

Greenwood is located in the Lower Piedmont region of Upstate South Carolina. The city provides a friendly, small-town setting along with the progressive and active environment of a larger city. Greenwood is the home to Lake Greenwood, Lander University, and Piedmont Technical College. Every year in June, Greenwood hosts the South Carolina "Festival of Flowers." The festival was originally started in 1968 as an outgrowth of Park Seed Corporation's annual Grower Days, and Park Seed remains a major sponsor of the festival. The Festival has also included jazz concerts, Cessna flights for children, world food, a showcase for classic cars, and a dog show. This event draws many gardening enthusiasts from around the nation. To order a print of Greenwood, SC, click here: http://www.villageprints.com/drawings/south-carolina/greenwood-sc.

Terry, Mississippi Drawing

The area that would eventually become known as “Terry” was first settled in 1811 by settlers from Virginia.  In 1867, the town of Terry was established when the railroad was built through the area. Terry is a town in Hinds County, Mississippi, located near Interstate 55, about 15 miles southwest of Jackson. Terry is the birthplace of the influential blues musician Tommy Johnson, who had claimed to have sold his soul to the devil at a secluded Mississippi crossroads in exchange for fame and fortune, a legend that was later popularized by its attribution to bluesman Robert Johnson. To order a print of Terry, MS, click here: http://www.villageprints.com/drawings/mississippi/terry-ms.

Sardis, Mississippi Drawing

Sardis is a town in Panola County, Mississippi. Sardis is one of two county seats for Panola County. The other is Batesville. Located on the Little Tallahatchie River, Sardis Lake is a 98,520-acre water resource development project occupying parts of three North Mississippi counties. The dam site is nine miles southeast of the town of Sardis and is approximately an hour’s drive from Memphis, Tennessee. Sardis Dam was the first of the Yazoo Headwaters Projects to be built. Authorization for the project came when President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed the Flood Control Act of 1936. Construction took 4 years and required thousands of men to clear 14 miles along the Little Tallahatchie River, which was characterized by dense woods and undergrowth, and meandering sloughs. Annual visitation to Sardis Lake tops 5 million people. The lake is popular with anglers and has a reputation for its abundant bass and crappie. Other recreation activities include hunting, camping, boating, skiing, swimming and picnicking. Its proximity to the University of Mississippi (Ole Miss) makes it popular with students.To order a print of Sardis, MS, click here: http://www.villageprints.com/drawings/mississippi/sardis-ms.

Ripley, Mississippi Drawing

Ripley is a city in Tippah County, Mississippi. It is the county seat of Tippah County. Colonel William Clark Falkner, great-grandfather of author William Faulkner, was a prominent resident of Ripley in the mid- to late- 19th century. Ripley is the home of the First Monday Trade Day held the weekend prior to the first Monday of every month, one of the oldest outdoor flea markets in the United States. It started around the turn of the century at the old square but is now held south of Ripley along Highway 15 across from the Tippah County Fair Grounds.To order a print of Ripley, MS, click here: http://www.villageprints.com/drawings/mississippi/ripley-ms.

Bowling Green, KY

Bowling Green, Kentucky, is the third most populous city in the state of Kentucky, after Louisville and Lexington. Bowling Green is located in southern Kentucky, 110 miles south of Louisville and 55 miles north of Nashville, TN. The city was officially incorporated by the State of Kentucky in 1798. General Motors has an assembly plant in Bowling Green in which all Chevrolet Corvettes have been constructed since 1981. Other significant businesses in Bowling Green include Fruit of the Loom and Camping World. The third largest Kentucky public university, Western Kentucky University, is located in Bowling Green. To order a print of Bowling Green, Ky, please click here: http://www.villageprints.com/drawings/kentucky/bowling-green-ky.  

Hawkinsville, GA Drawing

Pulaski County was originally the capital of the Creek Indian Confederacy.  Attracted by the lush countryside and abundant wildlife, the area was home to the Creeks until the turn of the nineteenth century when treaties declared the land American territory.  Located on the banks of the Ocmulgee River, the town quickly became a thriving trading post for Native Americans who lived to the west. General Andrew Jackson camped here with his army troops on the way to fight the Seminoles in Florida.  In memory of the famous general, a large boulder with a bronze tablet bearing the inscription, "General Jackson's Trail 1818," can be seen on what is now the corner of Broad and Jackson Streets. To order a print of Hawkiinsville, GA, please click here: http://www.villageprints.com/drawings/georgia/hawkinsville-ga.

Smackover, Arkansas, Drawing

Smackover is home to the Arkansas Museum of Natural Resources. The Museum depicts the history and culture of Smackover and the surrounding area with an indoor reconstruction of downtown Smackover, an Oil Field Park, and numerous exhibits illustrating South Arkansas's oil industry. Smackover hosts an annual four-day Oil Town Festival held in June. Smackover was home to a rough-and-tumble oil boom camp. It began in February 1923 when a man leased 1,000 feet of farmland. In June 1923 there was a huge flood, which covered the main street with 10 feet of water. Most of the inhabitants moved away permanently and no trace of the settlement remains today. To order a Smackover, AR print, please check out http://www.villageprints.com/drawings/arkansas/smackover-ar.

Murfreesboro, Arkansas Drawing

Murfreesboro is a city in Pike County, Arkansas. Crater of Diamonds State Park is located just to the south of the city. The "crater" is an eroded lamproite pipe where diamonds were discovered in 1906. 100,000 were found by 1933, and visitors to the park may still take away whatever they can find. Hillary Clinton wore a 4.25 carat (850 mg) yellow diamond known as The "Kahn Canary" Diamond, found at the park in 1977, to the inaugural balls in 1993 and 1997. Also located in Murfreesboro is the 1,000-year-old Ka-Do-Ha Indian Village and museum, which offers a field that can be excavated for authentic arrowheads. To order a print of Murfreesboro, AR, click here: http://www.villageprints.com/drawings/arkansas/murfreesboro-ar.

Jacksonport, Arkansas Drawing

Jacksonport is a town in Jackson County, Arkansas, along the White River at its confluence with the Black River. Jacksonport was once an important steamboat stop on the White River. During the Civil War the town served as a transportation hub for Confederate forces. To order a Jacksonport, AR print, please check out this link: http://www.villageprints.com/drawings/arkansas/jacksonport-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.

Appleby School Drawing, Florence, AL

On October 15, 2008, we had the pleasure of speaking with the great grandson of F. T. Appleby, for whom the Appleby School of Florence, Alabama, was named. The School was named to honor Appleby, who was superintendent from 1917 to 1932. The building is the original Coffee High School. Florence Junior High School, built in 1936 on the lot adjoining Coffee High, had housed all junior high classes until 1951 when the new high school was built on its present location. The old high school building was then converted into an elementary school. Upon completion of Richard School in 1961, all the elementary grades were moved to that school. Both the old high school building and the junior high school are now used as junior high schools. This building had several fires, and in the 1980's it was badly burned. It has been razed, and the University of North Alabama tennis courts now occupy the area.

Tommy Thompson completed a drawing of Appleby School during the 1980s prior to the razing of the school.To purchase one of the Appleby prints pictured above, click here: http://www.villageprints.com/drawings/alabama/florence-alabama-appleby/

Hattiesburg, MS, Drawing

Hattiesburg, Mississippi, was founded by William H. Hardy, a pioneer lumberman and civil engineer, who named the town in honor of his wife, Hattie. The town expanded as a center of the lumber and railroad industries, from which it derived its nickname of "The Hub City." It now attracts newcomers to the area because of its diverse economy, strong neighborhoods, and central location in south Mississippi.

The town is the home to the University of Southern Mississippi and William Carey University. South of Hattiesburg is Camp Shelby, the largest National Guard training base east of the Mississippi River. Notable residents include Jimmy Buffett, musician; Brett Favre, former National Football League quarterback; and Eddie Hodges, actor and singer. Prints of Hattiesburg, Mississippi, can be purchased from Village Prints at http://www.villageprints.com/drawings/mississippi/hattiesburg-ms.

Yazoo City, Mississippi, Drawing

Yazoo City is a city in Yazoo County, Mississippi. It was named after the Yazoo River, which, in turn was named by the French explorer Robert La Salle in 1682 as "Rivière des Yazous" in reference to the Yazoo tribe living near the river's mouth. Yazoo City is also known as the "Gateway to the Delta" due to its location on the transition between the two great landforms that characterize the geography of Mississippi. A few of the notable people who hail from Yazoo City, MS, include Haley Barbour, former Governor of Mississippi; Jerry Clower, famous country comedian; Willie Morris, writer who was born in Jackson, MS but grew up in Yazoo City; and Zig Ziglar, personal development speaker and trainer. To order the Yazoo City, MS, print, check out http://www.villageprints.com/drawings/mississippi/yazoo-city-ms.

Bentonville, Arkansas Drawing

Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art is a new and exciting addition to Bentonville, Arkansas. Crystal Bridges takes its name from Crystal Spring—a natural spring on the Museum's wooded site that feeds into the Museum ponds. Crystal Bridges' permanent collection spans five centuries of American masterworks. Besides the art galleries, the complex includes a library, hands-on experience art studios, and a restaurant. More than three miles of walking and biking trails extend through the Museum’s 120-acre grounds. Crystal Bridges is open Monday, Thursday, Saturday, and Sunday from 11 AM to 6 PM; Wednesday and Friday from 11 AM to 9 PM. The Museum is closed on Tuesdays, as well as Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Day. The trails are open sunrise to sunset every day. The general admission to Crystal Bridges is sponsored by Walmart. There is no cost to view the Museum’s permanent collections. Crystal Bridges is a nonprofit organization focused solely on creating a world-class museum for the benefit of the public. The Museum was founded by Alice Walton. To purchase a Bentonville print, check out http://www.villageprints.com/drawings/arkansas/bentonville-ar.

A Place Called Hope

What two famous men were born in Hope, Arkansas? Former President Bill Clinton, and former Governor Mike Huckabee came from this famous little small town.To learn more about the print of Hope, AR, check out this link.

The drawing of Hope was done by Tommy Thompson's daughter, Michelle Rideout, who is the one of the South’s most prolific artists in capturing small town Americana. Her drawings are known for their meticulous attention to detail.

To purchase one of the prints of Hope pictured above, click here: http://www.villageprints.com/drawings/arkansas/hope-ar.

Fayette, AL Art Print

Artist Tommy Thompson created this beautiful hand-pulled silk-screened print of Fayette, Al. We have a few artist proofs of the print remaining if you would like to purchase one for a Christmas gift or other occasion. Please click on this link: http://www.villageprints.com/drawings/alabama/fayette-alabama-color/.

Haleyville, AL Art Print

Artist Tommy Thompson created this beautiful hand-pulled silk-screened print of Haleyville, AL. We have a few artist proofs remaining if you would like to purchase one for a gift. Log onto http://www.villageprints.com/drawings/alabama/haleyville-alabama-color/
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