WHERE ELLIS COUNTY NAMES CAME FROM

The following alphabetical list offers explanations for the naming of Ellis County communities and streams:
ALMA -this small town was named for the daughter of an early settler By "the name of Hemming.
AVALON -Avalon was named by Billy Jones, an early settler,
Bardwell -this community was named for J, Y. Bardwell, who was an early settler,
BOYCE -Boyce was named for its first settler, Capt. W, A. Boyce, who came to Texas from Alabama in 1874.
BUENA VISTA -this town was so named because Buena Vista means "beautiful view" in Spanish,
CHAMBERS CREEK.-A surveyor, Chambers, named the town for his uncle, Gen. Thomas Jefferson Chambers, who was a former judge of the Mexican Superior Courts and a figure in the Texas Revolution,
ELLIS -This county was named after Richard Ellis, a jurist, president of the Constitutional Congress which declared the independence of Texas from Mexico, and a member of the New Republic,
ENNIS -Ennis was named after Cornelius Ennis, one of the early directors of the Houston and Texas Central Railway which came to this point,
FERRIS -this town was named for Judge Justus W, Ferris,
FORRESTON -This community was originally called Chambers Creek for its location near the stream. The name was later changed to "Forreston" to honor Capt, Carr Forrest, who donated the land for the town site,
GARRETT -This town was named for the original land owner, William Garrett,
ITALY -this small town was originally known as Houston Creek because Sam Houston was supposed to have camped there. The name was rejected by the Post Office Department and Gabriel J. Pena submitted the name of Italy because the climatic conditions correspond to sunny Italy,
MAYPEARL -This town was first named Cyria, and a post office was granted under that name. The name was changed to honor May and Pearl, daughters of two officials of the International-Great Northern Railroad when if reached the town on June 25, 1903.
MIDLOTHIAN -Midlothian was named Barker for a Charles Barker. The name was changed by a Scottish engineer for the Gulf, Colorado, and Santa Fe Railroad which reached the site in 1883.
MILFORD -this community was named for a ford on Mill Creek,
NASH -Nash was named for N, J, Nash, an early settler.
OVILLA -the name for this town was devised by placing "o" before the word "villa" meaning house or village in Latin,'
PALMER -Palmer was named for Dr, D. S, Palmer, a physician for the Houston and Texas Central Railroad, which reached the town in 1874.
REAGOR SPRINGS -This community was originally named when the post office was established, but the name was later changed to honor John Reagor, who settled there.
RED OAK -Red Oak was named for the Oak trees in the vicinity*
ROCKETT— Rockett was originally known as "Liberty " but was renamed for the Rockett family who moved to the community in 1890.
STERRETT-the community was named for an early settler Col. Sterrett,
WAXAHACHIE-this town, which is the county seat of Ellis County recieved name from the creeks which passes through a portion of the town and means "Cow Creek" in the Indian Tongue* WAXAHACHIE CREEK -This creek was named "Cow Creek" by the Tonkawa In" Indians because of the cows which they found there.
WAXAHACHIE LAKE -this lake was named for the city of WAXAHACHIE and is located' south east of the town.
copied by Ruth Dates from a 1963 Waxahachie Daily Light Newspaper
Searchers and Researchers Volume 1 issue 1 pg118 winter 1977-1978