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From: Robin Poeschek <>
Subject: [InFounta] William W. ENNIS - bio
Date: Tue, 06 Mar 2007 16:42:44 -0800


Beckwith, H. W. History of Fountain County, Indiana. Chicago: H.H. Hill,
1881, p 196



William W. ENNIS, insurance agent, Attica, son of William and Mary (CRISSY)
ENNIS, was born September 2, 1810. The ENNISES were Irish. Two brothers,
William and John, emigrated to America before the revolution and settled in
New York city. When the war broke out John remained a royalist, but William
joined the patriots and went into the military service. He was taken
prisoner by Lord HOWE and confined in the old Jersey prison-ship three
months. He lost his property, most of which his brother got. His son
William, father of the subject of this sketch, was a soldier through the war
of 1812, and served in the 7th reg. N.Y. Art., doing garrison duty at Castle
Garden. In 1818 he moved to Indiana and settled in Randolph county, where he
cleared land and made a home. He moved to Winchester, the county seat, and
lived there several years, working at his trade of shoemaking. About 1833 he
moved to Dayton, Ohio, where he passed the remainder of his life, and died
in 1841. Mr. ENNIS was reared a farmer. In 1830 he celebrated his marriage,
at Winchester, with Sarah, daughter of David WRIGHT, and niece of Judge John
WRIGHT, afterward of Illinois. She died in 1832, leaving one child, which
also died shortly afterward. In 1835 he came to Fountain county and settled
near Pleasant Hill, Montgomery county. He farmed there a little while, and
then moved to Pleasant Hill and engaged in merchandising two years. In 1847
he removed to Attica, where he has since made his home. During six years of
his residence in this place he was selling dry goods, and the next seven
years boots and shoes. For many years now he has been in the insurance
business. He filled the office of township trustee twelve or fourteen years
in succession. When he lived in Richland township he was justice of the
peace one term of four years. He was married a second time, in 1837, to Miss
Rebecca, daughter of Samuel MEEK, an old settler of Fountain county. They
have had one son and four daughters: Almira, John W., Emma, Laura and Julia.
Almira is the wife of James H. FINFROCK, of Attica, and John W. is an
artist, and lives at Delphi. Mr. ENNIS is a republican. He and his wife and
two daughters are Presbyterians, and one daughter is a Methodist.



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