H and H Coffee

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

Nancy Draves

Granddaughter of Rudolph W. Menger (R. W. Menger, Secretary-Treasurer and advertising director of H&H, 1912–1962). Calls Gustav P. Menger “Uncle Gus” — confirming she descends from R. W., making G. P. her great-uncle. San Antonio resident.

Contact: ntdraves@hotmail.com

Identity and genealogy

Nancy descends from one of R. W.’s two known children: daughter Charlotte Belcher or son Steve G. Menger (R. W. married Charlotte Malone in 1925; she died 1935; both children survived him at his 1985 death). Her father — whichever child — had recently passed as of December 2014, when she found large burlap H&H coffee bags in his garage (origin-labeled, not H&H-branded) and offered to donate one to the factory display.

Husband: Tim Draves

Lecturer, Department of History, University of the Incarnate Word (UIW), San Antonio (2008–present). Office: AD 358. Email: draves@uiwtx.edu. Phone: (210) 852-0786.

  • MA, U.S. History, UTSA (2005); BA English Composition/Economics, Beloit College (1976)
  • Editor, Journal of the Life and Culture of San Antonio (UIW, 2005–present)
  • Road Scholar Program presenter, “Signature City: San Antonio” (2012–present)
  • Research focus: Texas history, particularly San Antonio in the 19th century
  • Awards: Denise J. Doyle Award for Teaching and Service (2016); TSHA Mary Jon and J. P. Bryan Excellence in Education (2009)
  • Writing a book on Mary Menger — Nancy’s great-great-grandmother, the Menger Hotel co-founder Publications (complete as of 2026-05-21):
Date Title Venue H&H Relevance
Jun 30, 2020 “Mary Menger” Handbook of Texas Online, TSHA High — Menger Hotel co-founder; NRHP/TSHA nomination context
2018 “Common Thread” (chapter) 300 Years of San Antonio & Bexar County, Claudia Guerra, ed., Trinity University Press High — SA commercial history context
Apr 6, 2016 “Spanish Governor’s Palace (the Comandancia)” Handbook of Texas Online, TSHA Low — SA history; unrelated to H&H
Nov 2008 “Fresh Ideas, William Menger’s Fascination with Innovation, 1847–1871” The Journal of South Texas High — William Menger directly; covers same period as H&H founding generation
Mar 2008 Three San Antonio Women in Texas History NEISD fourth grade curriculum guide Medium — may include Minnie Menger or Menger Hotel women
Jan 2008 Review of River Walk: The Epic Story of San Antonio’s River, Lewis Fisher (Maverick Publishing, 2006) Southwestern Historical Quarterly Low — SA context
Jun 10, 2006 “Mary Menger” The Journal of the Life and Culture of San Antonio, UIW, uiw.edu/sanantonio High — earlier version of the TSHA entry; may contain material not in the 2020 revision
2007–08 Readings in San Antonio History (NEISD Dept. of Social Studies), editor, Vol. 1–2 NEISD Medium — SA history curriculum; possible H&H or Menger content
Jul 2004 Review of HemisFair ‘68 and The Transformation of San Antonio, Sterlin Holmesly (Maverick Publishing, 2003) Southwestern Historical Quarterly Low — SA context

Research priority: The 2006 Journal of Life and Culture “Mary Menger” article predates the 2020 TSHA revision by 14 years and may contain details revised or cut in the published handbook entry. The Three San Antonio Women curriculum guide is worth identifying — if Minnie Menger is one of the three, it may contain a short biography drawing on Tim’s family access. The “Common Thread” chapter in the Trinity University Press volume (2018) could place H&H in broader San Antonio commercial history narrative.

Critical connection: UIW is the University of the Incarnate Word, founded by the Sisters of Charity of the Incarnate Word. The Menger Family Collection cited in Tim’s TSHA article is held at the Archives of the Sisters of Charity of the Incarnate Word — the UIW archives. Tim has been on campus since 2008 and almost certainly has direct working access to this collection. This makes him the single most efficient path to the Menger Family Collection primary sources.

Nancy’s published work

Published author. Texas Tech University Press published her work on Kitty Anderson’s Texas Civil War diary at the close of 2017. She is a member of the Texas State Historical Association (TSHA). Also published a Handbook of Texas entry for Kitty Anderson on the Portal to Texas History (under the Texas State Historical Association).

Correspondence and contact history

December 13, 2014 — First contact

Found the H&H website; emailed factory@withlime.com: “I saw your site today and I am very curious and excited about your project.” Second email same day: “I am Rudolph Menger’s granddaughter.”

December 15, 2014 — Substantial letter

Key passages:

  • “The Mengers have a wonderful story which is very rich in San Antonio entrepreneurship and creativity. But with that being said they were also very good, hardworking, FAITHFUL and extremely modest people.”
  • “I was in the building as a child but remember little.”
  • “My Uncle Gus was a real power house and had quite the personality. He did write an account for the family about those early years in coffee and your site prompted me to re-read their story last night.” — G. P. Menger’s first-person family narrative of H&H’s early history exists and Nancy has/had access to it.
  • “He is writing a book on Mary Menger my great great grandmother or Rudolph’s Grandmother.”

December 18, 2014 — Factory visit

Nancy and Tim visited 601 Delaware in person. She had not been in the building since childhood.

December 19, 2014 — Post-visit

“We really enjoyed our day and we thank you both so much for the tour and your time. It was just the best day and the high light of our week.” Offered to donate a large burlap coffee bag from her father’s estate.

February 1, 2015 — Writing collaboration

Expressed interest in writing stories about Menger history for the H&H website. Was researching what Jabez Burns roaster William Hoffmann used. Brett encouraged her; no output documented.

May 2, 2015 — Photo scanning offer (first)

Offered the two large Summerville Photos for scanning. Described large employee photo as “September 14, 1924” at this time.

March 24, 2018 — Witte sighting

Spotted Sam Houston Coffee in the Witte Museum “Confluence” display; emailed Brett: “thought of you today when we saw it.”

January 30, 2019 — Handbook of Texas proposal

  • Proposed writing a Handbook of Texas entry for Minnie Menger; offered to co-author with Brett. A separate H&H Coffee entry was mentioned as a future possibility.
  • Member of TSHA; planning to attend their February conference.
  • Brett’s response not documented; entry was apparently not written.

2024 (before June 4) — Photo scanning offer (second)

Re-contacted after years. Now describes the large employee photo as “September 14, 1929” (see date discrepancy note below). Brett replied June 4, 2024.

The two Summerville Photos

Both large-format panoramic prints, by Summerville Photo, San Antonio:

Photo 1 — Employee group, exterior:

  • Dimensions: 21×10 inches
  • Title (printed on photo): “Office Sales Force and Plant Employees Hoffman Hayman Coffee Co. San Antonio Tex. Sept. 14, 1929”
  • 48 employees seated/standing in front of two enormous background signs
  • Nancy recognizes individuals including one man she describes as having “wrote some pretty incredible letters you may want to copy”
  • Date discrepancy: In her May 2015 email Nancy described this photo as dated “September 14, 1924”; in her 2024 email she says “September 14, 1929.” The 1929 description is more detailed and recent; the 1924 reading may have been a misread. Note: 1924 would place this at the 331 Burnett Street plant; 1929 is also Burnett Street (Delaware not built until 1932). Either way it predates the Delaware Street facility.

Photo 2 — Annual Picnic:

  • Dimensions: 28×10 inches
  • Title (printed on photo): “Employees Annual Picnic Aug. 9, 1936”
  • ~100 people in a park setting in front of 4+ H&H vehicles; children in front
  • Nancy’s mother appears in this photo as a child — a Gen-4 Menger child
  • Nancy’s favorite of the two
  • 1936 = Delaware Street plant era (built 1932)

Neither photo has been scanned as of the documented correspondence.

Unpublished primary sources she holds or held

  1. G. P. Menger’s family narrative — first-person account of H&H’s early years, written by Gustav P. Menger for the family. Nancy re-read it in December 2014. Not shared with the project.
  2. Family photographs — brought the 1930s factory group shot to the December 2014 visit; references “some pretty cool” family photos in her December 2014 letter.
  3. Correspondence archive — references a man in the 1929 photo “who wrote some pretty incredible letters you may want to copy.” May hold these letters.
  4. Burlap H&H coffee bags — large bags from her father’s estate; origin-labeled (not H&H-branded); offered to donate one in December 2014.

Open questions

  • Which of R. W.’s children is her parent — Charlotte Belcher or Steve G. Menger?
  • Does she still have G. P. Menger’s family narrative? Is it a typescript, handwritten document, or oral tradition written down?
  • Who is “the man who wrote the incredible letters” in the 1929 photo, and does she still have the letters?
  • Was the Handbook of Texas Minnie Menger entry ever submitted or published?
  • Have the two Summerville Photos been scanned since Brett’s June 2024 reply?

Collaboration opportunities

  • Scanning the two Summerville Photos — immediate, low-friction ask; already agreed in principle twice
  • G. P. Menger’s family narrative — the single most important unpublished primary source in the project
  • Handbook of Texas entry for Minnie Menger — she proposed it; she has the TSHA membership and format familiarity
  • Co-authored book — she is a published author (Texas Tech), TSHA member, has family oral history and artifacts Brett cannot access independently; the KB provides the research depth. Trinity University Press and UT Press both publish Texas regional history.

See also