H and H Coffee

Dedicated to the history of the Hoffmann-Hayman Coffee Co. founded 1899 in San Antonio, Texas.

San Antonio hotelier. Co-founder of the Menger Hotel on Alamo Plaza, with his wife Mary Menger (Maria Clara Baumschlüeter Menger). Died 1871; after his death, Mary ran the hotel as sole proprietor until selling it in 1881.

Name Discrepancy

This KB records him as William L. Menger; the TSHA Handbook of Texas Women article on his wife Mary Menger names him William A. Menger. These are almost certainly the same person — both are identified as the Menger Hotel founder — but the middle initial discrepancy is unresolved. Primary genealogical sources (Bexar County records, cemetery inscription) should clarify.

Family

Married Mary Menger (Maria Clara Baumschlüeter Menger) (Maria Clara Baumschlüeter) in 1851. Children who survived to adulthood:

  • Louis William Menger — founded the Catholic newspaper Southern Messenger
  • Peter Gustav Menger — (further details unknown)
  • Katarina Babette (Catherine Barbara) Menger — probable ancestor of the H&H coffee generation; see Catherine Menger

Connection to H&H Coffee

The KB records Catherine Menger (wife of Dr. Rudolph Menger, mother of Minnie and Gus P.) as William’s granddaughter. However, the TSHA article names Katarina Babette as a daughter, not granddaughter, of William and Mary. If Katarina Babette and the KB’s Catherine are the same person, the KB’s “granddaughter” designation is incorrect. If there is an intermediate generation, it holds. This is an open research question — see Mary Menger (Maria Clara Baumschlüeter Menger) for full discussion.

William L./A. Menger is the great-grandfather of the H&H Menger generation (Gus P., Minnie, R. W., T. J., L. B., A. G.) at minimum; the exact generational count depends on resolution of the Catherine lineage question.

Archive Lead

The Menger Family Collection is held at the Archives of the Sisters of Charity of the Incarnate Word, San Antonio — a primary archive not yet consulted for this project.

Open Questions

  • Full name (middle initial “L.” vs “A.”) — needs primary source confirmation
  • Exact vital dates; Bexar County genealogy citations
  • The exact route by which Menger Hotel social standing and capital flowed into the coffee firm
  • The hotel changed hands (sold to Kampmann 1881) — distinguish from the modern ownership chain

See Also