Joseph Bergmann Home
Simon Menger sold 54 acres of land from Survey No. 182 and 183 to Joseph Bergmann on 1 November 1853. The land was situated on the Cibolo about twenty five miles northwest of San Antonio. The east side of the property ended at Dr. Herff’s field and the west side was bounded by Fredericksburg Road. This road is now called the Old San Antonio Highway. There was a stipulation made by Menger in the deed that if Bergmann desired to sell the land and premises (there isn’t a description of the building) Menger had the first opportunity to purchase it again. Sam S. Smith, Bexar County Clerk of the County Court recorded this transaction on 15 November 1853 at 5:00 pm. Witnesses: W. H. Cleveland and Mariano Rodriguez.
In 1846, Simon Menger and his family arrived in Texas. He was well educated and taught school and was a musician. The family moved several times before settling in San Antonio where he started Menger Soap Works which operated until World War I. The present day address is 500 North Santa Rosa St.
Bergmann, Joseph. Family Home circa 1900s. Photograph of the original. 2000. By Gunner Froebel. Digital copy privately held by Regina Adam and Kathryn Adam-Hurst. Boerne, Texas. 2011.
Kendall County, Texas, “Transcribed Records of Bexar County,” Vol. 1: 286-288; Simon Menger to Joseph Bergmann, 15 November 1853; County Clerk’s Office, Kendall County. Bexar County, Texas. “Deed Records,” Vol. 1: 605-606; Bexar County Clerk’s Office, Bexar County.
Menger, Rudoph. Texas Nature Observations and Reminiscences. San Antonio: Guessaz and Ferlet Co., 1913. http://books.google.com
Conrad's Stories 
So neat to see this picture of the old Joseph Bergmann House….we purchased this place about 22 years ago and always wanted to see what the origional place looked like. The Huge Live Oak is still there and wanted info on that as well. It has five lead rings on it, one for every hundred years…the most beautiful tree I have ever seen, still to this day. The origional rock part of the house is still there and it has been added onto and remodeled over the years!
500 years old! Amazing! Think of the stories that tree could tell…