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The
Dabbs Hotel in Llano
has been an overnight stop for travelers and a weekend getaway for
romantics for over a century. Past guests included railroad workers,
miners, prospectors, cowboys, college students, raccoons and the ghosts
of Bonnie
and Clyde.
In 1880s the Austin and Northwestern Railroad began laying tracks
from the Texas capital to
Llano County to haul out the iron ore believed to be abundant
at Iron Mountain. By 1892 the rails reached the town of Llano.
That same year the railroad began a daily passenger service between
Austin and Llano. Curious
travelers came to the little town in the granite hills to catch a
final fleeting glimpse of the wild Texas frontier. In fact, Llano
became the travel destination of choice for many Austinites.
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Over
the years a number of hotels sprang up in Llano
to serve out-of-town guests. In 1913 local businessman M. B. Dabbs
built the Dabbs Railroad Hotel to accommodate travelers and
railroad crews. The hotel stood at the end of the line, near the depot
on the north bank of the Llano
River.
A popular destination from the day it opened, the hotel soon expanded.
The July 10, 1914 edition of the Llano News reported "Work
has started on the new hotel building which will be occupied by the
Dabbs Hotel. It will be located on the same lot that has been
occupied by the old Dabbs Hotel in North Llano."
The story noted that during construction, "boarders are being accommodated
in an adjoining building and in a large tent nearby."
Mrs. Eaves operated the hotel in the beginning. Then in 1918 Mrs.
M. B. Dabbs, the owner's wife, took over. The dollar a day rates included
room and board.
A modern-day traveler might be surprised to learn that Llano,
Texas in the early 20th century could be a lively place. Several
hotels offered alcohol, music and dancing. Then on Sunday commuters
gathered at the depot to catch the train for the 4-hour ride back
to Austin.
Unconfirmed stories claim that Bonnie
and Clyde laid low at the Dabbs Hotel. Some accounts say they
gathered information for future robberies by eavesdropping on train
crews. Another story claimed the old hotel once housed a brothel.
After WWII,
travel by train declined, but even then, the Dabbs Hotel received
a steady stream of guests. Railroad crews continued to bunk overnight
at the Dabbs until 1979, making the Dabbs one of the last authentic
railroad hotels in the country. UT students used the hotel as a quiet
place to cram for exams.
But as the old hotel aged, it didn't always get the care and attention
it deserved. By the 1980s the Dabbs had fallen into disrepair. The
screens rusted and the paint peeled. Part of the building became a
haybarn and a home for raccoons, hoot owls and stray cats.
Then in the 1980s a character named Gary Smith bought and restored
the Dabbs. Smith had a gift for storytelling, and he made a connection
with young people. He placed regular ads in the Daily Texan,
the UT student newspaper, advertising a "secret hideaway for romantics
on the Llano River."
The Dabbs Hotel soon became a popular weekend destination for UT students
looking for pleasure and relaxation. Couples could stay at the Dabbs
for $30 a night, breakfast included. Campers could pitch a tent near
the river.
At sunset they all gathered around the campfire for a wild night of
singing, storytelling, beer drinking and other forms of recreation.
Warm evenings usually ended with a midnight dip in the Llano
River.
Young people forged a lot of friendships at the Dabbs Hotel. At least
one Austin band, the Asylum Street Spankers, famously got its start
there after a night of debauchery in 1994.
In its latest chapter the old hotel, now a B&B, has been beautifully
restored and renovated. The place is bright and breezy with a spectacular
view of the granite hills, the lazy Llano River and the water tumbling
over the dam behind the Roy
Inks Bridge. |
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