BIO:  Peter H. Menges, York County, PA

Contributed for use in the USGenWeb Archives by Kathy Francis

Copyright 2005.  All rights reserved.
http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm
http://www.usgwarchives.net/pa/york/
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History of York County, Pennsylvania.  John Gibson, Historical Editor.
Chicago: F. A. Battey Publishing Co., 1886.
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Part II, Biographical Sketches, Heidelberg Township, Pg 109

PETER H. MENGES was born in north Codorus Township, York Co., Penn., November 27, 
1835, son of Peter and Nancy (Hershey) Menges, of German and Swiss descent, 
respectively.  His great-grandfather came from Germany when quite young, and 
settled about five miles west of York, some time before the Revolutionary war.  
He is buried at Wolf’s Church in West Manchester Township.  The grandfather, John 
Menges, was a farmer, and settled in that part of the home section now owned by 
Andrew Menges, in Jackson Township.  He had a family of thirteen children, and 
died at the age of sixty-nine years.  Peter Menges, Sr., the fifth child of this 
family of thirteen children, was born July 1, 1802, and spend his early life on 
the farm, and then learned the milling trade in Cumberland County, Penn.  After 
his marriage he moved to his father’s farm in North Codorus Township, which he 
farmed for eleven years, then came to Heidelberg Township, and purchased the farm 
and property (Menge’s Mill) where he passed the remainder of his life.  He died 
October 10, 1883, and is buried at Lichey’s Church, of which church he was elder 
for nearly twenty years.  During the last twenty years of his life, he devoted 
his time to the good of the church.  Throughout the whole community he was known 
as “Old Father Menges.”  Two of his sons are living:  Peter H. and John.  The 
latter was born in 1824, and is a minister of the Evangelical Lutheran Church.  
He was educated at Mount Joy, Lancaster County; was received into the ministry by 
the “Old Pennsylvania Synod” in 1851, and has since filled various charges in 
Lancaster and York Counties.  In 1880 he became pastor of Grace Evangelical 
Lutheran Church, at West Philadelphia.  With a few members he built a Mission 
Church, and now he has a large membership and a successful Sunday-school.  Peter 
H. Menges’ early life was spent on the farm and at milling, receiving his 
education at subscription schools, finishing at the public school at Columbia, 
Penn., and the high school of Mount Joy, Penn.  For eleven years afterward he was 
engaged as a teamster, hauling lumber, merchandise, etc., between Littlestown and 
Susquehanna River.  He was married, January 24, 1860, to Kate Hinkle, daughter of 
Isaac and Elizabeth Hinkle, of Lancaster County, Penn., of Irish and German 
descent.  They have had seven children – three sons and four daughters:  John, 
Alvin, Willie, Annie, Mary (deceased), Pacie (deceased) and Minnie.  After 
marriage they moved to the homestead farm, as tenants, where they remained ten 
years, after which Mr. Menges engaged in the milling and produce business.  After 
the construction of the H. & Y. R. R., he purchased and built the property known 
as Menges’ Mill, store and warehouse, creating thereby a good market for produce.  
He was an active participant in the construction of the above railroad.  He and 
family are members of the Lutheran Church at Lichey’s (now Spring Grove), in 
which he was a deacon eight years, and Sunday-school superintendent for nearly 
twenty-five years.  In 1875 he was a delegate to the Sunday-school convention at 
Philadelphia.  He has held the office of internal revenue collector Fifteenth 
Division of Pennsylvania, in 1863 and 1864, and school director in the township.