Sacramento County
Biographies
GEORGE H. MENKE
GEORGE H.
MENKE.–An exceptionally interesting man is George H. Menke,
the Sacramento pioneer living at 621
Twenty-eighth Street, in
the capital city, where he was born in April 28, 1861. His father was Antone
Menke, who had married Miss Mary Wolker,
born in Germany. Both are now deceased. They were the parents of eleven children, of
whom three are living today, all in Sacramento. Josephine, now the wife of J. J. Glacken, is the eldest; then comes George H.; and the youngest
is Fred William.
Antone Menke was born at Dalhausen, in Westphalia, Germany,
on May 22,, 1822. Leaving his native
land, he arrived in New Orleans on
January 12, 1844. He enlisted for
service in the Mexican War in May, 1846, and he saw six months of service under
the command of Jefferson Davis. In 1851
he came to St. Louis; and on April
6, 1854, he started across the continent, traveling by
means of ox teams. He reached Sacramento
on October 2, 1854, after a six-months’ trip. Being a willow-worker or basket-maker by
trade, he rented a home on L Street,
and cut his willows along the American
River, to use in the manufacture of
his handiwork. Later, he rented a ranch
to the northwest of Sacramento, and
followed farming and cheese-making for a while.
Returning to Sacramento, he engaged in business and lived in a place on
J Street, between Ninth and Tenth, where he made baskets and sold cigars and
fruit; and later his place of business was located on J Street between Fifth
and Sixth. In 1875, he rented a ranch of
114 acres on the Folsom road, eleven miles east of Sacramento,
near Mills; and in 1880 he bought the place and there followed scientific
hop-raising for a while. He was quite an
extensive landowner, and at one time possessed three different ranches. He belonged to the Masons, being a member of
the Consistory and the Shrine, and also to the Druids, and was popular in
each. He died December 22, 1912, and the
wife and mother died in February, 1890.
George Menke attended the Sacramento
schools, and then worked at willow-basket making with his father. When sixteen years old, he went onto his
father’s hop ranch near Mills; and later he was in charge of the same. Later he bought the home ranch, which he has
greatly improved. Eight years ago he
planted sixty acres to peaches and pears, and set out a vineyard. Among the varieties of peaches he grows are
the Phillips, Tuscan, and Levi clings; and he recently planted twenty acres to Pelora cling-stones.
His crop for 1922 was 863 tons of peaches. His son, George H. Menke,
Jr., is now in charge of the ranch.
On November 11,
1882, Mr. Menke was married at Sacramento
to Miss Anna C. Fitzgerald, a native of Sacramento
County and the daughter of Joseph and Eliza
(Fisher) Fitzgerald, well-known California
pioneers; and three children were born of their union. Mary E. Is the wife of Frank Davis, of
Florin; Florence A. Is the wife of
Chester Lambert, of Sacramento, and they have three
children, Bethel, Ruth and George;
and George H., Jr., is the father of two children, Wilma and Russell. Mrs. Anna Menke
died on March 26, 1914; and on April 28, 1915, Mr. Menke
was married to Miss Rachael Ross, who was born in Canada
and was a trained nurse, having been educated in Philadelphia. Mr. Menke was the
trustee of the Brighton school district for thirteen
years. He is a director in the Farmers
and Mechanics Bank of Sacramento,
and a director in the California State Life Insurance Company. Fraternally, he is a member of Sacramento
parlor No. 3, of the Native Sons of the Golden West. Mr. Menke loves all
out-of-door sports, especially hunting and fishing, and is a member of Wild
Goose Gun Club; he also enjoys clay-pigeon shooting, and is always able to hold
his own with the other members of the club.
Transcribed 1-28-07
Marilyn R. Pankey.
Source: Reed, G.
Walter, History of Sacramento County,
California With Biographical Sketches, Pages 362-365. Historic Record Company, Los Angeles, CA. 1923.
© 2007 Marilyn R. Pankey.