This Week in Hilton History
In 1919, Conrad Hilton bought the small, 40 room Mobley Hotel in Cisco, Texas. After returning home from serving in WWI, Hilton raised some money from friends and family, and headed to the Texas oil boomtown of Cisco to buy a bank. When the bank’s owner raised the price at the last minute, Conrad broke off negotiations. From this disappointment came the opportunity of a lifetime and a decision that would change travel forever. Hilton instead purchased The Mobley, a local hotel. The hotel averaged 300% occupancy because the guests were mainly oil field workers who rented the rooms in eight hour shifts. Browse photos from our archives of the Mobley Hotel over the years.