William R. Hoffmann

Founder of the wholesale coffee, tea, and spice business that became the Hoffmann-Hayman Coffee Co. His death in January 1912 triggered the company’s incorporation. By 1908 he was described as “a noted character in San Antonio.”

Portrait

A portrait photograph of Hoffmann was published in the San Antonio Light, February 14, 1908. The 26 August 1923 Light “New Home of a Great Institution” factory spread reprinted his portrait on page 59, captioned that he “more than a quarter of a century ago created the famous H and H blend.”

Spelling note

Period newspaper copy frequently misspells the surname Hoffman (one n) in setting type — the Light January 1912 death notice headline is one example. Primary documents (signature, family records, later trade press) use Hoffmann with the double n. Preserve the period misspelling when quoting verbatim from a specific clipping; use Hoffmann in narrative.

Biography

Origin: Native of Germany. Emigrated to America with his parents; the family settled at New Braunfels, Texas.

Early career: Before arriving in San Antonio, Hoffmann lived in New Braunfels and St. Louis — described as “formerly of New Braunfels and St. Louis” in his 1909 marriage notice. He likely gained experience in the coffee and tea trade during his St. Louis period.

Arrival in San Antonio: His 1908 profile states he “established himself in business in San Antonio six years ago,” placing his arrival around 1902. An earlier claim of 25 years’ residency (in the 1912 death notice) may be inaccurate or may count time in the broader Texas area. Best estimate: came to San Antonio ~1902.

First position / early roasting operation: Two 1930s newspaper accounts reconstruct Hoffmann’s start, with complementary details:

The News, 21 Dec 1932: Hoffmann was “a clerk in the grocery of George C. Sauer on Alamo Plaza” when he first started in the coffee-roasting business, using “a tiny coffee roaster … hardly larger than a 50-pound lard can.”
San Antonio Express-News, 22 Jul 1935: In 1904, Hoffmann “purchased for a few dollars a small hand coffee roaster, of 25-pound capacity, which he installed in a shack located in the rear of the old Spahn Bakery in East Commerce Street. During the day, Mr. Hoffmann solicited orders, roasted the green coffee at night and delivered it by horse and buggy the next morning.”

The two accounts are complementary rather than contradictory: Hoffmann held a day job as a clerk at Sauer’s on Alamo Plaza while running his roasting operation at night out of the Spahn Bakery shack on East Commerce. The 1935 Studer Studios press photos show the Spahn Bakery shack and the original roaster. The 25-lb capacity roaster (described as “hardly larger than a 50-pound lard can”) was later preserved as a display relic at the 601 Delaware plant opening in December 1932.

Residence:

~1909: new cottage at Nolan and Hackberry Streets (from marriage announcement)
Oct 1911: 681 Nolan Street (from housekeeper want ad placed by Mrs. Wm. R. Hoffmann)
1912 (at death): 631 Nolan Street (from funeral notice — may be same address with different transcription, or a move between Oct 1911 and Jan 1912)

Business

Early address (1908): Rear of 208 East Commerce Street (also recorded as 228 East Commerce Street in 1912 — likely the same address with different numbering); warehouse on the Southern Pacific track.

By 1908: One of the leading business men of San Antonio. Contemplating “one of the largest plants in the south.”

Early brands (pre-H and H)

Hoffmann’s Package Coffee — sold at 20–40 cents, available at all first-class grocers; “having quite a big run and people are asking for it every day”
Gold Elephant tea — “of the finest flavor”

H and H Blend

Created October 1904 using a small hand roaster. This became the company’s flagship product and the one the company later celebrated as its founding brand.

Marriage

Married Wilhelmina (Minnie) Menger on June 1, 1909, at the home of the bride’s parents on East Commerce Street. Only intimate relatives attended, including the Hoffmann family of New Braunfels.

Minnie is the daughter of Dr. and Mrs. R. Menger of San Antonio — making Dr. R. Menger Hoffmann’s father-in-law, and Gus P. Menger (Hoffmann’s confirmed brother-in-law) Minnie’s brother.

Family

Wife: Wilhelmina “Minnie” Menger (daughter of Dr. R. Menger)
Brother-in-law: Gus P. Menger
Children:
- A son who died in early January 1911 — the January 20, 1911 SA Light “Card of Thanks” from Mr. and Mrs. Wm. R. Hoffmann thanks friends for “kind words of consolation in our late bereavement of our darling son.” The October 1911 housekeeper want ad for “a household of two” confirms no surviving child by that date.
- An “infant daughter” referenced in the 1912 death notice — now confirmed as Helen B. Hoffmann (later namesake of Texas Girl Coffee). Per her January 1945 obituary, she was born in San Antonio, died January 17, 1945, aged 33, making her birth year c. 1911–1912 — consistent with conception after the June 1909 marriage and birth shortly before her father’s January 1912 death. She is also documented in May 1933 and October 1934 social clippings at 126 West Agarita, and in the September 1937 The News as the Texas Girl namesake.
- William P. Hoffman appears as Vice President in December 1932 — possible son of the founder, though parentage is unconfirmed given the 1912 “infant daughter” reference. He may be a nephew or other relative.
Parents: still resident at New Braunfels at time of death
Siblings: three brothers, four sisters (from New Braunfels)

Death

Died Wednesday, January 10, 1912, at 1:45 p.m., at his residence, 631 Nolan Street, San Antonio, after a brief illness. Aged 33 (born ~1879). The SA Light death notice gives “33 years old”; the SA Express-News funeral notice’s “53 years 2 months and 15 days” is a scanno — the printed “5” is an OCR/typesetting misread of “3” — and is consistent with neither the 1909 marriage notice (a “prosperous merchant” established since ~1902) nor his emigration as a child.

Funeral: January 11, at 4 o’clock from the residence, officiated by Rev. O. Hartmann of St. John’s Lutheran Church. Interment at City Cemetery No. 1.

Family parallel. His daughter Helen Hoffmann also died at age 33 — on 17 January 1945, exactly 33 years and 7 days after her father, at the same family residence (then 126 W. Agarita). With the infant son’s death in early January 1911 (William R. Hoffmann Jr.), the immediate Hoffmann line saw three deaths clustered in mid-January 1911 – mid-January 1945. Cause of Helen’s death is not yet documented; whether a hereditary condition links the two age-33 deaths is an open research angle.

Lodge memberships

Lotus Lodge (Knights of Pythias), Siemering Lodge (Hermann Sons), Germania Lodge (Knights and Ladies of Honor), Alamo Lodge (Royal Achates), Turner Verein, Retail Merchants’ Association.

Public reputation

By June 1908, a verse published in the San Antonio Light declared Hoffmann’s coffee had made him “a noted character in San Antonio.” The poem (signed “Sage T. Brush”):

“You get coffers for your gold / And coffins when you’re cold, / And a cough will take you off the doctors say, / But I think that I will have a / Steaming cup of Java. / And a century more on earth I’m going to stay.”

H and H Coffee