In 1871 the Houston and Texas Central Railroad (H&TC) arrived at the spot that would become Ennis as it built north towards Dallas.

[5] This early growth was attributed to the success of cotton production in the region, making Ennis a center of trade and commerce for both farmers and the railroad.

While it no longer hosted the company headquarters, the shops and yard in Ennis would remain and continue to be used as a hub for other lines and branches serving the city.

On July 14, 1902, the Corsicana Oil Citys of the Texas League moved that day's game against Texarkana to Ennis, due to Sunday blue laws in Coriscana.

Future major-leaguer Nig Clarke set an all-time record by hitting eight home runs in ten at bats in a 51–3 victory.

(Clarke was helped mightily by the fact that Ennis' tiny ballpark featured a right field fence only about 210 feet from home plate.

)[7] The expansion of the cotton industry supplemented by the railroad provided access to foreign and domestic markets through the port of Houston.

In part to the city's significant contribution, the Ennis Chamber of Commerce adopted the slogan 'Where Railroads and Cotton Fields Meet."

Lawyers, doctors, businessmen, and other wealthy residents built churches of many different denominations and numerous fraternal organizations met regularly.

[5] The commercial strip along Ennis Ave. between Downtown and Interstate 45 was hit by a tornado on May 15th, 2013, rendering four homes uninhabitable and damaging as many as 55 businesses.

In celebration of the eclipse, Ennis threw a large festival, attempting to attract more visitors to the town and further bolster the economy.

However, the railroad's decision to establish Ennis meant that the nearby town of Burnham—located five miles south near the present-day community of Ensign—would be bypassed.

As a result, a mob of angry residents reacted violently to the railroad's bypass and attacked citizens in the city of Ennis, killing one and injuring several others.

[10] In 1870—as the H&TC was laying track in Ellis County—residents of the neighboring city of Waxahachie refused to give bonds to the railroad and resisted the development of a rail link to the system.

[11] In 1882, the H&TC began construction on a spur line which would span over 100 miles from Ennis to the city of Paris, Texas, linking a southern terminus of the St. Louis and San Francisco Railroad.

A washout of the bridge spanning the Trinity River would lead to the official abandonment and decommissioning of the line between Ennis and Kaufman in 1942.

By the mid-20th century, the significance of the railroad began to decline in the city, as the postwar boom of the mid-century favored the automobile over the locomotive.

In 1989, a spur of the Texas Eagle—the successor of the Lone Star service—running from Dallas to Houston would run nonstop through the city during the alternate service's brief three-year stint in the early 1990s.

However, many of these original homes were lost to neglect, demolition, fire, and careless renovation during the 20th century, precipitating the need to preserve the locally historic significance of those remaining.

U.S. Route 287 curves around the south side of Ennis and leads northwest 15 miles (24 km) to Waxahachie, the Ellis County seat.

The Bluebonnet Trails Festival celebrates the state flower of Texas and the vibrant bloom of wildflowers in the surrounding countryside.

First hosted in Kachina Prairie Park in 1938, the Bluebonnet Trails have since expanded into a route of several dozen miles along rural farm roads throughout the surrounding countryside east and northeast of the city.

Texas Motorplex in Ennis is a quarter-mile drag racing facility built in 1986 by former funny car driver Billy Meyer.

The museum's collections include: railroad and cultural memorabilia including items related to the Houston and Central Texas Railroad; a large diorama of the old engine roundhouse that once existed just north of the museum's location; a large collection of rare china; and a MKT caboose.

Secondary education offers several extracurricular programs, such as UIL (University Interscholastic League) Academics and Sports, TSA (Technology Student Association), and the National FFA Organization.