THE OLD ENNES FARMS AT TEXAS, OHIO

 
 

The Alonzo Ennes farms at Texas had rich soil. The valleys along the streams running through them were heavily forested with large black walnut, shag bark hickory and sycamore trees. These woods were a squirrel-hunters paradise because of the many nuts.
 

 

The large barn on the Alonzo Ennes Farm was about eight rods north from the Canal. Between the barn and the house was a large garden and an orchard of apple, peach and quince trees. The large farm house had a large basement. South of the house next to the garden, was a large grainery. Next to the grainery was a horse-powered tread mill used to run a large fanning mill next to the grainery.
 

 

In those days the grain was out by scythe or cradles, bound into sheaves, hauled in, then stacked near the fanning mill. There the grain was thrown on hard ground and trampled by a team of horses going round and round in a circle. It was then flailed with heavy sticks tied together with raw hides. Then the chaff and grain was thrown into the horse-powered fanning mill which blew the chaff and the straw from the grainThe grain was stored in the large grainery until it was hauled to the grist mill which was located at the Canal Lock at Texas. There it was ground into flour and feed. The grist mill burned about 1894.
 

 

Those were busy days for the girls on the Old Ennes Farm. They not only did the housework and work in the fields but they made the hundreds of tallow candles needed for lighting the home, and also those used in the many square-tinned lanterns used in the barns and stables. The girls also made the lard and the apple butter over an open fire in a large iron kettle outdoors In fact, they made nearly everything except the shoes they wore on their feet.
 

 

Over the years, Alonzo bought many farms so the Alonzo Ennes Farm at Texasv Ohio was originally composed of many smaller places with buildings on each of them. These farms were located north of the Canal on the east side of Texas.
 

 

After Alonzo’s death in 1879, each of his children, with the exception of Lincoln, who had been given money for his medical education, was given a portion of his holdings.
 

 

Ordella, his eldest daughter, who married David Bowker, died in 1871.
 

 

Martha Brown, with her large family inherited the Alonzo Ennes home, buildings and land where she and the Ennes family had lived.
 
 

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