The Cattleman's Grand Dream

Read the story

Imagine risking your entire cattle fortune on a single dream to build the most luxurious hotel south of Saint Louis. That is exactly what Colonel Jesse Driskill did in 1884 when he purchased a downtown lot at Brazos and Pecan for seventy-five hundred dollars. Designed by local architects J.N.

Preston and Son, this grand Romanesque-style building opened on December twentieth, 1886. The Daily Statesman immediately hailed it as one of the finest hotels in the whole country. It quickly became the premier social and political center of Texas society, hosting legendary gatherings for decades.

Though Driskill's personal cattle fortune would later fluctuate, his magnificent hotel survived, standing today as the oldest operating hotel in Austin. As you walk on, picture the wealthy cattle barons and politicians climbing the steps of this legendary icon, ready to strike their next big deal.

Updated June 2026