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Welcome to Stop 5 of the Rales, Bales and Bluebonnet Trails historic downtown Ennis walking tour. Originally, financing the cotton business was done privately, but in 1883, only a short ten years after the railroad came to town, Joseph Baldridge established the first commercial bank, the Ennis National Bank at 110 W. Ennis Avenue. Over 70 businesses formed the backbone of historic downtown Ennis by 1900. In the first three decades of the 20th century, Ennis’ population boomed. In 1917, the new neoclassic Ennis National Bank Building at the northeast corner of Dallas and Ennis Avenue replaced its earlier location up the street.