Much of the Texas cattle industry’s lobbying and deal-making took place near the State Capitol in Austin, not far from a spot where herds of Chisholm Trail cattle crossed the Colorado River. Many a politician would belly up to the ornate bar of the landmark Driskill Hotel and be followed by a cattle baron seeking a law or regulation that would benefit him. Established by prominent Texas cattleman Col. Jesse Driskill in 1886, the hotel today has been beautifully restored and stands as a shrine to the wealth made in cattle in 19th-century Texas.