▁improved ▁transport ation , ▁several ▁gran ite ▁cutting ▁and ▁finishing ▁business es ▁moved ▁to ▁town ▁in ▁this ▁period . ▁Many ▁of ▁the ▁new ▁business es ▁were ▁begun ▁in ▁the ▁bo om ▁period , ▁and ▁substantial ▁brick ▁establish ments ▁were ▁constructed ▁around ▁the ▁public ▁square ▁on ▁the ▁north ▁side ▁of ▁the ▁river . ▁Among ▁these , ▁the ▁Alg ona ▁Hotel ▁became ▁a ▁foc al ▁point ▁for ▁the ▁town ' s ▁new ▁social ▁life . ▁It ▁was ▁dam aged ▁by ▁a ▁cy clone ▁in ▁ 1 9 0 0 ▁and ▁burn ed ▁to ▁the ▁ground ▁in ▁ 1 9 2 3 . ▁Because ▁the ▁county ' s ▁min eral ▁resources , ▁with ▁the ▁significant ▁exception ▁of ▁gran ite , ▁did ▁not ▁exist ▁in ▁commer cially ▁explo itable ▁concentr ations , ▁the ▁bo om ▁period ▁soon ▁f aded . ▁Pl ans ▁to ▁connect ▁L l ano ▁with ▁Freder icks burg ▁via ▁an ▁extension ▁of ▁the ▁San ▁Antonio ▁and ▁Ar ansas ▁Pass ▁Railway ▁were ▁not ▁ful filled . ▁A ▁series ▁of ▁fires ▁in ▁the ▁early ▁ 1 8 9 0 s , ▁probably ▁set ▁to ▁collect ▁ins urance ▁on ▁un prof itable ▁properties , ▁destroyed ▁many ▁of ▁the ▁new ▁business ▁establish ments . ▁Such ▁fires ▁were ▁so ▁numerous , ▁fire ▁ins urance ▁was ▁denied ▁to ▁the ▁town ▁for ▁several ▁years . ▁ ▁Farm ing , ▁ran ch ing , ▁and ▁the ▁gran ite ▁industry ▁remained ▁the ▁found ations ▁of ▁the ▁town ' s ▁economy ▁in ▁the ▁ 2 0 th ▁century . ▁In ▁the ▁ 1 9