Opened in 1859 in San Antonio’s Alamo Plaza, right down the street from the famed mission where Davey Crockett fell at the hands of Mexican troops just 23 years prior.
The Menger hotel gets its name from its founders William and Mary Menger. William Menger was a German immigrant and a brewer of beer. The Mengers opened the hotel after finding success with his brewery, opened in 1855, four years before the hotel.
During the early days of the American Civil War the hotel was used by the Confederate army as a boarding house for military personnel, a duty that the Mengers gladly accepted. As the war raged on the Menger Hotel was forced to shut down its guest hosting services as business slowed to a standstill during the conflict. However, the Menger family did keep the meal services going in order to feed officers and soldiers and offered space for medical care for many of the wounded. After the war was over, business at the hotel picked up, quickly making a name for itself as one of the finest establishments in San Antonio.
In 1871 William Menger passed away, with Mary and their son Louis William Menger not only taking over chief operations of both the hotel and brewery, but also expanding on the hotel itself and increasing its capacity and services offered, including gas lighting and indoor plumbing. Still, by this time, Mary was getting too old to continue on and her son had little interest in running the hotel, so it was sold to Major J.H. Kampmann in 1881 for around $2.8 million in today’s currency.
Kampmann was actually the contractor that William Menger had charged with building the hotel back in 1858 and after the purchase his family continued to manage the property until 1943. Major Kampmann took it upon himself to add many improvements to the facilities, he added an East Wing, an extra lobby, and expanded the dining room to accommodate up to 160 people. Eventually he retired and left the hotel to his son Hermann Kampmann, who continued his father’s tradition of improvements. This included the addition of the famous Menger Bar, which was based on the design of the House of Lords Pub in England. The bar was also where Teddy Roosevelt famously met with and recruited many of his famous Rough Riders.
After Hermann Kampmann’s death in 1902 the hotel was given to all of the Kampmann family, as no one person wished to take over. Despite not having any real interest in the hotel business, the Kampmann’s did contract several renovations in order to compete with the new hotels opening in the area. Unfortunately the combination of World War I and the economic troubles of the Great Depression led to the property falling into disrepair and abandonment. In 1944 William Lewis Moody Jr. took over as owner and his corporation has managed the hotel ever since.
The hotel has played host to many famous guests throughout its history, including several United States Presidents. It also reportedly plays host to 38 different spirits and holds the unofficial title of “The Most Haunted Hotel in Texas.” With a property with such a long and rich history, it is no wonder that it has picked up a few ghost stories over the years and it is just one of the many ways that it has left its Mark on the Texas landscape.