Biography of 	Menard, John H. Orleans Parish, Louisiana
Submitted by 	Mike Miller September 2000

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John H. Menard.  John Menard, the father of this gentleman was a native of France, and came to
New Orleans in 1828 and died in that city in 1880.  To him and wife were born a family of seven
children, the subject of this sketch being the eldest.  The mother is yet living and resides in
the Crescent City, where she and family are so well and favorably known.  John Menard was the
pioneer florist and horticulturist of New Orleans, and remained actively in the business during
his entire lifetime.  His nursery was located just below the fair grounds and comprised
eighteen acres, which, for years, was 'the' institution of that kind in New Orleans.  Prior to
the war he was the most extensive and widely-known florist and horticulturist in the South.
John H. Menard is a native of 
New Orleans, where he was born in 1844.  He received his education in the Jesuit schools of
that city, and learned his father's business under his careful and thorough tutelage.  During
the war he served the confederacy in the militia, and after its close and until 1879 assisted
his father in the management of his business.  He then, with a small capital, began business
for himself, locating at the corner of Delord and Carondelet streets.  Sometime later he moved
to the "garden district," for propagating purposes, and established a depot at Delord and St.
Charles streets, opposite Lee circle.. His nursery is known as "Elks nursery," being named that
by Mr. Menard in honor of the Elk's fraternity, of which he was at one time a prominent member.
He is also a member of the K. of H., K. of P. and P. 0. S. of A. fraternities.  Mr. Menard is
married and has an interesting and intelligent family, who are well posted and take an active
interest in the father's business.  He has, by his industry and business tact, built up a large
and steadily growing business, and few men in the South have done more to build up and improve
the business he is engaged in than Mr. Menard.  He is in all ways a most worthy and
public-spirited citizen, and is vice-president of the New Orleans Horticultural society.

Biographical and Historical Memoires of Louisiana, (vol. 2), pp. 496-497.  Published by the
Goodspeed Publishing Company, Chicago, 1892.