Biography of 	MENGE, John H., London, ENG., then Orleans Parish, Louisiana
Submitted by 	Mike Miller June 1998

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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.