Haunted History of Old San Antonio

There are very few hotels that exist in the United States today that can boast of as rich a history and as spooky of ghost stories as the Menger Hotel can. Set apart from almost any other hotel in the country, the Menger Hotel will certainly live in America’s history as one of the most influential hotels.

Built in 1859 by a German immigrant named William A. Menger, this hotel has quite a story to tell. William Menger was a popular man in San Antonio because he was known for brewing the finest tasting beer in the city. His beer was so popular and sought after that he decided to open up San Antonio’s first brewery called “the Western Brewery,” located on Alamo Plaza right next door to the famous Alamo. On the other side of his brewery, he also operated a boardinghouse with his wife, Mary.

Mary was a widow who operated the boardinghouse by herself when she first met Menger. William had come to San Antonio looking for work and stayed at the boardinghouse for three years before they both decided to marry. Years later, they had two thriving businesses right next to each other and a demand for more rooms and space at the boardinghouse. They decided that they were going to turn the boardinghouse into a luxury hotel and call it the Menger Hotel. They hired local architect John M. Fries, who designed the two-story, stone-cut building with classical detail. Foundations were laid June 18, 1858, and work was completed by January 1859. On February 1, they opened the Menger Hotel with a lavish gala that allowed reporters and the wealthy to feast their eyes on the luxurious hotel. News traveled fast as reporters boasted of its finery and dubbed it “the Finest Hotel West of the Mississippi.”

Original photo taken of the Menger Hotel when it was first constructed. Courtesy of the Menger Hotel.

Within three months, the Mengers had enough business that they started to plan on expanding the hotel, which was originally built with only fifty rooms. This time, they added on forty more rooms—making the Menger, with a total of ninety rooms, the largest hotel in the area.

The hotel’s nationwide fame, good service and excellent cuisine made it a popular place for many influential and famous people to stay. These people included William Sydney Porter, who mentioned the Menger in several of his stories; General Robert E. Lee; Ulysses S. Grant, who spent four days in the hotel; Sidney Lanier, who wrote “San Antonio de Béjar” while he stayed at the Menger; and Teddy Roosevelt, who visited three different times.

An exterior photo of the Menger Hotel, circa 1865. Courtesy of the Menger Hotel.

Photo of the original lobby inside the Menger Hotel. Courtesy of the Menger Hotel.

During one of those visits, Teddy recruited his famous Rough Riders from the Menger Hotel bar [NOTE: as in captions] in 1898. They claim that he actually rode into the famous bar on his horse to recruit his men. The original table where he enlisted the Rough Riders is still inside the Menger Hotel to this day, on the third floor. These men went on to battle in the Spanish American War.

Years passed, and the Great Depression came, slowing down business significantly. People no longer had money to travel and stay in expensive hotels. However, in the 1940s, business began to pick up, and new renovations were added to the building. Famous faces began once again to flock to the hotel. These people included Mae West, Babe Ruth and Roy Rogers. At one point, it is said that as soon as people arrived off the train, they rushed over to the Menger Hotel in order to secure a room in such luxury.

The Colonial Room Restaurant also experienced high demand and popularity. It was known throughout the city as having the best and most decadent food in the area. Some of its most popular items on the menu included such specialties as wild game, mango ice cream and snapper soup, made from turtles caught in the San Antonio River.

Today, the Menger Hotel still exists as a central landmark in the city of San Antonio and is now on the National Registry of Historic Places. Its history, beautiful architecture, famous food and location draw many visitors to it daily. But perhaps the most interesting part of this hotel is its many hauntings.

The Menger has had so many different types of tragedies on the premises—including a battle that took place next door—and people stay throughout the years that it’s no wonder the hotel bears the title of “Most Haunted Hotel in Texas.”

When the Menger was first built, there were not a lot of other buildings in the area. Nor were there many hospitals. If someone took sick or was about to give birth, he or she would often take a room at the Menger and have the doctor visit him or her there. Because of the lack of clean living areas and no hospitals, the hotel was the best place to go. Many people did lose their lives to some sort of ailment or terrible childbirth inside this building.

Let’s not forget also that the Menger sits next door to the Alamo and was only built a short twenty-three years after its fall. Many men lost their lives where the building sits today, and some claim to see the spirits of those very same men walking the halls of the hotel.

There are a total of thirty-two known spirits that haunt the Menger Hotel, and each one of them seems to have its own story. But of the thirty-two, there are three that stand apart from the rest. Their stories follow.

Teddy, as we know, recruited his Rough Riders from the Menger’s bar in 1898. He must have loved the hotel and its bar because he frequented them so often. Today, when the staff at the bar closes up at night, they have seen a man appear at the bar watching them. Sometimes, he beckons or calls out to them, as if he wants to have a friendly chat with them. When they do get the opportunity to speak to him, they claim he often tries to recruit them to join his Rough Riders.

A new employee had a very frightening experience at the bar one evening. It was his first time closing up the bar by himself, and as he was finishing, he heard something behind him. He turned and saw a man appear at the bar, watching him intently. Frightened, he ran past him to the doors but realized that they had locked on him. He banged on them, trying to get someone’s attention. Eventually, someone heard the noise and unlocked the door for him. The poor employee was in a state of shock and could hardly speak. When he did eventually recount his tale, it was too late, for the man at the bar had long since disappeared.

The most often sighted ghost of the Menger Hotel is a young woman named Sallie White. Sallie was once a chambermaid at the hotel and was a wonderful employee on its staff. She loved her job and always completed her daily duties with the utmost care. Unfortunately, Sallie had a common law husband who was a very angry man. He lost his temper often, and he would take it out on Sallie when she arrived home (their house was located two streets behind the hotel). One day after an explosive argument, Sallie took off running down the street. Her husband pulled out his gun and shot her in the back three times. It took poor Sallie two days to die from her wounds, and because she was such a beloved employee to the hotel, the Menger brought her back and paid for her funeral costs of thirty-two dollars. That receipt is on display inside the hotel to this day and states the following:

Hotel Exp. Acct.,

to cash paid for coffin for Sallie White, col’d chambermaid, deceased, murdered by her husband, shot March 28^th died March 30^th.

For grave, $25.00

$7.00

$32.00

Sallie, they say, has not given up on her daily duties. She is most often sighted walking up and down the different hallways, continuing on with the work she so greatly loved. She can be seen with an armful of towels or sheets, entering the different rooms. Many people have had experiences of seeing Sallie White over the years inside the hotel. One woman retold a story about an experience she thought she had with Sallie White. As she was sitting at the edge of her bed, flipping through the channels on her TV, she suddenly saw something walk through her front door. It was a woman dressed in a maid’s uniform and carrying a towel in her arms that walked through the door and disappeared into her restroom. Another woman also had a similar Sallie White experience. She said as she got out of the shower and walked into her room, she found a woman folding sheets at the edge of her bed, and she could see right through her. Terrified, she ran down to the front desk and told the concierge what had occurred.

So if by chance you stay at the Menger Hotel and see a woman in old chambermaid attire, don’t be alarmed; it’s just young Sallie White carrying on with what she knows best.

Richard started off his life as an indentured servant to a jeweler in New York City. His poor Irish family was so destitute that they had no other option than to sell him as a servant. Hating his indentured time with the jeweler, he ran away and hopped onto a ferry heading toward the Mississippi. Over the years, he established himself as a hardworking man who was also a great entrepreneur. He later on established his own steamboat company and was a blockade runner during the Civil War. During a visit to Corpus Christi in South Texas, he bought a large site of acreage that started his fabled King Ranch. Years later, the ranch grew into nearly one million acres, and King became a famous and very wealthy cattle baron.

King frequented the Menger Hotel on business trips when he came to San Antonio. He stayed there so often that he soon had his own private suite on the second floor. Later on in life, he developed stomach cancer and died inside his suite at the Menger Hotel on April 14, 1885. His funeral service was held inside the lobby, and thousands of people from all over came to pay their respects to this marvelous man.

Captain King, even after death, still seems to want his presence to be known. His spirit has been seen by hotel employees, guests and tour groups throughout the years. His original room is still located on the second floor and has been called “the King Ranch Suite.” There are some pieces of furniture inside the room that are original to when Captain King lived there. One such piece is King’s bed, located toward the back of the room. This is the exact bed where King died, and brave guests today have the opportunity to sleep here.

Some who have chosen to do so have claimed to see King or have had strange occurrences take place. One woman spent the night inside the famous suite and awoke to feeling a strange presence around her. When she opened her eyes, she claimed that she saw Captain King staring down at her as she slept in his bed. Another woman staying by herself heard footsteps in the living room and heard the shutters opening and closing. There is a curious red orb that has appeared in and around King’s suite, near the chair outside the room and on his bed. That red orb appears nowhere else in the hotel except those areas.

Employees have also claimed to see King walking through the hallways and disappearing through his doorway. He sometimes makes his rounds on the second floor but almost always disappears when he comes to his suite. The King Ranch Suite is considered to be one of the most active parts of the hotel. If you are brave enough, I suggest you try a night inside this famous room.

There are, of course, many other spirits that haunt this hotel. Perhaps they are not as famous as the previous three, but they have still made their presences known.

The Menger is located next door to the Alamo, and the spirits of some of the men who died there can be seen inside the hotel. Small children have seen soldiers standing over the railing on the second floor, looking down below. Others have also been seen in the new lobby walking about or standing near the doors.

A Spanish conquistador has also made an appearance in the lobby. He stands in full armor, as if he is preparing for something.

In the courtyard, the Chisholm Trail marker stands to commemorate the history of cattle drives and Texas ranchers. Many of these men frequented the hotel at that time and have been known to visit to this day. Their ghosts have been seen in different rooms and the bar area.

In the late 1800s, a small girl was tragically run over by a horse and carriage outside the Menger. After this, her small spirit has been seen in the lobby behind the front desk, at the Colonial Room Restaurant and in the bar. She is a mischievous spirit that likes to play games with the staff. George and Sigrid of the Colonial Room Restaurant have had their own experiences with the little girl they have nicknamed “Sarah.”

On occasions when they have been alone cleaning up the restaurant at night, they have heard their names called out. When they turn to answer, there is no one in sight. Sigrid said that on one occasion, this young spirit came up behind her and grabbed her sides. Startled, she turned around, but there was no one in sight.

The front desk also has a lot of Sarah activity. Sometimes, papers and brochures fly off the shelf and a little girl’s voice can be heard in the background. A recent photo taken by one of the staff showed a little girl in a white dress with long brown hair peering at the employees as they worked from around the corner. Sarah has also appeared on the upper level of the bar from time to time.

The history and ghost stories of the Menger Hotel are truly what make it such a fascinating and enamoring place to visit and stay. Its romantic architecture, great food and spooky aura continue to draw tourist and locals every year. Its title of “Most Haunted Hotel in Texas” will be left up for you to decide. If by chance you visit, perhaps you might see one of the famous ghosts of the very haunted and historic Menger Hotel.