William Ennis - after 1883

[Erato]

I am looking for any reference after 1883 to William Ennis, son of John Ennis and Mary McGee.  His biography in The History of Northern Wisconsin, Vol II. says he was born 20 Aug 1839 in Ireland but on some censuses he is rcorded as born in Canada [the family emigrated to Ontario in about 1840 and from there to Wisconsin in 1849].  His presence in Wisconsin is well documented up to 1883 after which he disappears.  At that time he was unmarried and engaged in farming with his brother, John Ennis.  The last reference to him is from the Montello Express [Wisconsin], 7 April 1883:

“Wm. Ennis started for the west on Thursday, taking with him two teams and feed for them this summer, besides nearly a carload of other things needed on a farm.  William has a section of land out there, and he expects to raise and market at least 3,000 bushels of grain this year, besides breaking one hundred acres of land.”

I have been unable to find him in any state west of Wisconsin or in Canada.  I believe the most likely state is North Dakota because I know that William’s brother Hugh Ennis [my g grandfather] went out to ND with some friends in about 1882 to check out land being sold there by the government.  Hugh decided not to move west and returned to Wisconsin.

[johnnyboy]

Hi Erato: Happy New Year and Happy New President! Long time no hear from--not since my "adoption" as the election was going on.

The Bureau of Land Management has a searchable database of land grants for almost every state.

Go here: http://www.glorecords.blm.gov/

Then click "Search Land Patents" at the top of the page. I found a grant made to a William H Ennis in North Dakota, but that was in 1911.

I searched all of the upper states west of Wisconsin (where grain might be grown) but didn't find anything for a William Ennis after 1883. You can search all of the other nearby states, too.

By the way, a section, as the news article says he has, is 160 acres.

Regards,
John 

[Erato]

Hi, JB.  Thanks for checking.  I'd already looked at that database and I couldn't find him either.  William's brother George disappeared in 1887 - I think he died because I've found his wife remarried.  But it's possible George divorced and set up farming somewhere with William. 

That missing 1890 census is a real pain.

Actually, a section is 640 acres.  William might have been prosperous enough to purchase that much land somewhere out on the plains where gov't land was still fairly cheap.  He and his brother John had evidently done pretty well in Wisconsin.  Besides the farm, they were joint owners of a hotel in Montello for a while, and William held a variety of minor positions in local gov't.

[johnnyboy]

Hi Erato: You're right about a "section." One hundred sixty acres is a quarter section. Have you looked for William Ennis in the 1885 Wisconsin census on the FamilySearch Pilot website?

http://pilot.familysearch.org

Regards,
John 

[Erato]

Unfortunately, no luck on the 1885 state census.

[vcmt2008]

I found a Montana clipping at our local library for a William Ennis (not sure if he's the one you're looking for or not) who was killed in 1908.  No info. about parentage, but he is referred to as an "old pioneer."

A second, smaller notice, undated says:

"Wm. Ennis, who was shot by Martin Peel at Virginia City some weeks ago, died of his injuries last Monday and was buried at Virginia City yesterday.  Peel is in the custody of the sheriff of Madison county and will be tried for the murder.  The two men were old timers in the Madison valley and the shooting was the result of a quarrel over an old grievance."

You possibly can find more about the trial and see if this is the William Ennis you're looking for...

Just a thought:  Maybe on their way west they bypassed North Dakota and settled in SW Montana?

[jccc58]

William H. Ennis (1862-1929) found in North Dakota is the second son of Thomas Ennis (1835-1863) who was John and Mary Ennis's first son.  My GGGrandfather is Thomas James John Ennis, first born of Thomas Ennis.

Thanks for all your research!  I am trying to catch up.....

[Erato]

Hi, jccc58 and welcome to RootsChat.  How nice to find another Ennis.  Yes, I know that the William who died in 1929 was the son of Thomas Ennis.  I have traced his uncle William as far as Minnesota in 1887 where, I regret to say, the police were after him for embezzlement.

[jccc58]

Thanks for the welcome.  The article you found on Wm is sad to think of after reading the information about him in the History of Marquette County.  He sounded so promising....  do you know why he left the Fountain House?