Designed by Larramour and Watson, the Badu Building was erected in 1890 by the Llano Improvement and Furnace Company, as the location of the newly chartered First National Bank.

The marble-floored street level with its carved wooden interiors were the public access portion of the bank.

The Llano Improvement and Furnace Company had been organized with the specific purpose of promoting land development in the area, but went bankrupt circa 1894.

From there, he traveled to New Orleans, eventually finding employment in Texas as an instructor of the French language, in the Lamar County town of Paris.

He was hired by the Llano Improvement and Furnace Company to manage the Algona Hotel, the area's grand upscale establishment.