O. Henry Museum

William Sydney Porter, later famous as O. Henry, moved into this modest Queen Anne-style cottage at 409 East 5th Street in Austin in 1886. He lived here with his wife, Athol Estes Porter, and their daughter, Margaret, for nearly a decade. During his time in Austin, Porter worked various jobs, including as a draftsman at the General Land Office and as a teller at the First National Bank. It was also during this period that he began to seriously pursue his writing, contributing to local publications and even starting his own humor weekly, 'The Rolling Stone.' The house itself, now a museum, preserves the domestic atmosphere of the late 19th century, with period furnishings and exhibits detailing Porter's life and the beginnings of his prolific literary career. Visitors can imagine him crafting his early short stories within these very walls, laying the groundwork for the 'twist endings' that would become his hallmark.