H and H Coffee

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

Institutional archive at the University of the Incarnate Word (UIW), San Antonio. Founded and operated by the Sisters of Charity of the Incarnate Word. For H&H research, this is the single most actionable archival access point for Menger family primary sources — it holds the Menger Family Collection, and Tim Draves (faculty since 2008) has probable direct working access.

Menger Family Collection

The Menger Family Collection is a primary-source archive cited in Tim Draves’s TSHA Handbook of Texas entry on Mary Menger (June 30, 2020). It is held at the Archives of the Sisters of Charity of the Incarnate Word. The collection almost certainly contains documents from the Menger Hotel era (William L. and Mary Menger, mid-to-late 19th century) and may include material relevant to the H&H-era Menger siblings who grew up in the same family network.

The collection’s H&H relevance is indirect but significant: the H&H Mengers (Minnie, Gus P., R. W., T. J., Louis B., etc.) are the children and grandchildren of the same Dr. R. Menger who was Mary Menger’s descendant or relation. Any family correspondence, probate records, or business papers in the collection could illuminate the H&H founding generation.

Access path: Tim Draves

Tim Draves, Lecturer in History at UIW since 2008, is the identified access path. His TSHA article cites the Menger Family Collection, establishing direct working familiarity. As a faculty member on campus since 2008, he almost certainly has direct access to the UIW archival collections.

Tim Draves is the husband of Nancy Draves, who is Rudolph W. Menger’s granddaughter. The combination of archival access and family connection makes Tim Draves the most efficient path to the Menger Family Collection primary sources in the entire project.

Contact: Office AD 358, UIW. Email: draves@uiwtx.edu. Phone: (210) 852-0786.

UIW institutional connection to the Mengers

UIW was founded by the Sisters of Charity of the Incarnate Word — the same religious order that operated the archives. The Menger Hotel’s founder William L. Menger and his wife Mary Menger were prominent San Antonio Catholics; the Sisters of Charity were a prominent Catholic women’s religious order in the city. The Menger family’s archival material ending up in UIW’s collections reflects the interlocking social and religious networks of 19th-century San Antonio’s Catholic community.

Open questions

  • What is the precise scope of the Menger Family Collection — hotel records only, or does it extend to the H&H-era siblings’ papers?
  • Has Tim Draves been contacted specifically about H&H materials in the collection?
  • Are there finding aids for the Menger Family Collection available online or by request?

See also

  • Nancy Draves — most direct contact; Tim’s wife; R. W. Menger’s granddaughter
  • Menger Family
  • Menger Hotel — the Menger family landmark whose papers are likely in this collection
  • TSHA — Tim Draves’s publishing venue; the Mary Menger article cites this collection