Menge, John H.

Submitted by Mike Miller

Menge, John Henry, prominent merchant, promoter and financier, now deceased, late a resident of the city of New Orleans, was born at London, England, in the year of 1833; son of John H. and Mary Menge. He came to America when a child, and located at New Orleans in 1863, having lived previously in this country at St. Louis, Cleveland, and other points in the north. Shortly after becoming a resident of New Orleans he became connected with the firm of E. Conery, Son & Co., and so remained until 1874, when he withdrew and formed a partnership with Jesse K. Bell, under the name of Bell & Menge. The original business of this firm was that of wholesale grocery, but through subsequent changes it developed into a ship chandlery business as at present conducted by the sons of Mr. Menge. In 1878 he took over the entire business interests of the firm of Bell & Menge, and in 1892 admitted his eldest son Bernard H. Menge, to partnership in the business, giving the firm the name of J. H. Menge & Son. Later Joseph A. Menge was admitted to partnership, and in 1895 the firm became J. H. Menge & Sons, Ltd. Apart from the founding and successful development of this large business enterprise, Mr. Menge became a man of large and varied interests and wielded a powerful influence in the city's financial and commercial circles. He was a stockholder in many important corporations and served oil the directorate of several of the largest and strongest of them. He was identified with the Southern Insurance Co., and with the New Orleans & Carrollton R. R. Co. It was while he was connected with the directorate that the New Orleans & Carrollton R. R. was changed to an electrically equipped road. Mr. Menge was one of the promoters of the first electric light plant in New Orleans, and this as well as all of his many business undertakings, was successful from its inception. He held membership in several of the carnival organizations, and in the Pickwick club, but had resigned these some time previous to his death. In 1857 Mr. Menge was married to Miss Mary Frances Dodd, of Toledo, Ohio, and 11 children were born to their union of whom the following survive at this time: Bernard H., Joseph A., John H, Jr., (president and general manager of the business of J. H. Menge & Sons, Ltd.), and Miss Pauline G., now the wife of Capt. J. A. Higgins, U. S. A. Mr. Menge's death occurred at Pass Christian, Miss., where he had gone to recuperate, April 4, 1905, and his remains were brought by special train to New Orleans, for the funeral service and interment.

Source: Louisiana: Comprising Sketches of Parishes, Towns, Events, Institutions, and Persons, Arranged in Cyclopedic Form (volume 3), pp. 685-686. Edited by Alcée Fortier, Lit.D. Published in 1914, by Century Historical Association.