Drury Woodson James founded the town of Paso Robles, California along with the Blackburn brothers. They built the first hotel there, and travelers would come for the curative powers they believed the natural sulphur springs there had. His ranch was called La Panza Ranch. He was visited by his nephews, Jesse and Frank James, after one of their early bank robberies. Drury didn't know that they were criminals, as he was a very upstanding citizen. Locals back then said that Jesse was not much of a ranch worker. The plan was so simple it had to be foolproof. Already the El Paso de Robles Hotel and Springs drew paying customers from as far away as Maryland and Alabama. If Drury Woodson James built a hotel and spa of world class stature and Dimensions, if he gave land to the railroad to bring trains and visitors to the hotel., if he incorporated a town, if he donated a full city block in front of the new hotel as a public park, if he subdivided the 5000 acres into city blocks, if he attracted selected business owners through a secret society--if he did all this, he and his partners in the firm of Blackburn and James would become the richest people in central California. So he did. Drury Woodson James was a good partner for business. He produced success. His partnership in La Panza Ranch worked well for his partner John D. Thompson. They continued to farm and raise cattle. His son-in-law Edward F. Bruns ran the hotel well, and his father-in-law Patrick Dunn operated the Wells Fargo Agency for Blackburn and James. His daughter Nelle's husband, Edward Bennett, was Postmaster. The Chorro Grist Mill when owned by Pollard and James was the region's top producer at fifty barrels per day. In 1873 when the Bank of San Luis Obispo was incorporators sought D. W. James as a founder. There was no reason to believe Drury Woodson's town of Paso Robles would fail. The community supported him generously. On June 3, 1873 he was elected to the California State Legislature, supported by the "People Party". In 1882 he was elected President of the School Board of Trustees for four terms. Attendance grew to 100%. From 1881 to 1891 he served a supervisor in the county of San Luis Obispo. He returned to the Legislature again from 1889 to 1891. Prior to autumn of 1886, visitors to Paso Robles departed a train at Soledad, California and traveled 84 miles by stagecoach to arrive at the springs. The arrival of the Southern Pacific Railroad linked Paso Robles with cities from San Francisco to Los Angeles to Yuma, Arizona and all points eat. The time had come to lay out a town. The town plan for Paso Robles was completed in 1887 and the town incorporated. Drury James commenced to selling lots in the town. In the next five years he executed over 600 real estate transactions. There was ready money now to build a world class hotel, more than $160,000. Drury Woodson hired architect Sanford White, widely known and admired for his designs for Boston Trinity Church and for San Diego's Hotel del Coronado. On October 12, 1891, the new Springs Hotel opened for business. Earlier that year the El Paso Robles Hotel Company, which owned the hotel and the springs, sold the property to Drury Woodson James and his wife, his son-in-law Edward F. Burns and R.M. Shackelford and to investors William Coward and B. D. Murphy. Drury James became the controlling partner. Later in 1892, the Blackburns liquidated their interest, selling to Shackelford and Coward. Drury lent them the money to purchase. The two made only one payment and defaulted, Drury James foreclosed and owned the Spring Hotel entirely. When Paso Robles was founded, James donated 2 city blocks for a public park. Across the street D. D. Blackburn built the clock tower building. The city paid for the electric lights which illuminated the clock at night. Behind the clock tower building, was the Masonic Lodge building, also financed by Daniel Drew Blackburn, brother-in-law of Drury James. From his 1894 obituary: "Yesterday morning in San Francisco. D.W. James, one of the pioneers of this county, passed to his eternal rest at the age of 85. Mr. James had been ill for number of days prior to his death and was in a very critical condition when a fire broke out in the apartments which he was occupying on Pacific Ave and Buchanan Streets in San Francisco. But for the heroic effects of a boy the invalid would probably have succumbed to the peril of the flames. In his critical condition. Mr. James was hastened to the Emergency hospital, but the shock of the terrible ordeal proved too great and hastened the end."