Ennis Cotton Compress

Cotton compressing and warehousing took place at this complex of docks and metal structures at 111 E. Lampasas in Ennis, Texas. The operation was running by 1889, which makes it one of the city's earliest industrial enterprises. For almost a century it served the local cotton industry, and Joe Baldridge was the first president of the company. The site covers about 3 acres beside the Southern Pacific railroad tracks. Its buildings include 1880s warehouse and press remnants, and a 1917 warehouse that was later remodeled in the 1950s. Two shed additions built in 1917 burned in the early 1920s. Additions completed in 1953-54 are considered noncontributing, and later warehouses from the 1950s and about 1973 fall outside the nominated boundary or are noncontributing. Some of the original compress machinery remains intact and operable, and the property was recorded in good condition. It was listed as part of a group of historic resources in Ennis because of its role in the town's industry.