Anton Menke

 

Anton Menke, hop-raiser, Brighton Township, was born in Dalhausen, province of Westpahlia, Prussia, now in the empire of Germany, May 22, 1822, a son of Carl and Mary Menke. His mother died in 1844, at the age of sixty-four years, and his father in 1854, at the age of seventy-two.  They had one son, Anton, and one daughter, Christine, who was married and died in the old country, the mother of several children. Mary Menke, however, by a former husband, Dierkes, had two sons: Frank, who died in New Orleans in 1852; after living there one year; and Charles, who died in Europe. Mr. Menke, the subject of this sketch, was brought up on his father’s farm until he was nineteen years of age, when, with the consent of his father, he went to work for Anton Dierkes, from whom he learned the trade of basket-making, remaining with him a year; then he was salesman a year for Carl Roecker; the next year he spent with Harry Spindler, and then, in September, 1843, he sailed for America on the ship Agnes from Bremen, commanded by Captain Bosso. After a voyage of fifty-two days he landed in New Orleans, June 12, 1844. There he worked at his trade for different parties until May, 1846, when he enlisted in the Mexican War, in the Fourth Louisiana Regiment, with the six-months men.  They were stationed at Matamoras until their time expired. Mr. Menke then followed his trade at the Crescent City. May 18, 1848, he married Mary Wolker, a native of Oldenburg. In September, 1851, he moved to St.  Louis, Missouri, with three children, one of whom was born on the way. He worked at his trade in St. Louis for a short time, with a man named Taylor, and in 1852 he started out in the furniture business for himself.  April 6, 1854, he left for California, over land, with a party consisting of eighty-two men, women and children, arriving in Sacramento October 2. Here he commenced work at his trade, making baskets, cutting his willows on the American River. In the spring of 1855 he opened a fruit and confectionery store in a rented building on the Plaza, meanwhile continuing the manufacturing of baskets. In 1856 he sold out, rented a farm five miles north of Sacramento on the road to Marysville, where he followed agriculture and the rearing of live-stock until 1860. Returning then to Sacramento, he purchased a lot on J street between Ninth and Tenth, erected upon it the two-story building now occupied by Martin’s hardware store, and lived there a short time. Then he followed farming again until the fall of 1862, on the outskirts of Sacramento, on the Nevada road. Returning again to the city, he opened a store on J street, between Fifth and Sixth, and dealt in music and fancy goods until the fall of 1876, when he sold to John F. Cooper. In the spring of 1875 he rented a farm near Routier Station for the purpose of raising hogs, in which business he has ever since been engaged. In 1880 he purchased the place, consisting of 114 acres. In 1883 he bought the place where he resides, comprising 113 acres, and a short time previously 215 acres. All these places are in Brighton Township, on the American River. One season, 1885, he made an exhibition of hops at New Orleans and Louisville, Kentucky, receiving a diploma at each place. He has 200 acres devoted to this crop. For the last five years he has raised more hops than any other man in the world. During the years 1887-‘88 he raised 2,200 bales each year. In 1883, when hops were scarce, he sold he crop of over 78,000 bales at a net profit of $60,000, which would have been still larger if he had held on a little while! In fruit he has eight acres, __20,000 trees. Mr. and Mrs. Menke have four children: Josie, born July 13, 1853, in St. Louis, Missouri, and now the wife of John J. Glocken, of Sacramento: A. R., born April 7, 1855, in Sacramento; Henry George, born April 28, 1861; and F. W., February 13, 1863. They have lost four daughters and three sons, all dying young. What remains to be told is the credit, so cheerfully accorded by him to Sarah, his wife, the co-builder of his fortune, the companion of his years; for to her industry, her foresight, the ever vigilant, constant care of every detail, to her activity, business enterprise and what is called thrift, is due to a great extent the remarkable success which has been attained. Her name and her fame has gone abroad, and wherever in all this broad land the raising of hops is known, there the name of “Mary Menke, the hop-woman of Sacramento” has become a household word. She has stood well by her husband in his life work and, possessed of a discriminating mind, has ever been a ready counselor and a helping hand. Not content with the ordinary methods in vogue, they have sought out and adopted new methods and new appliances.  Their buildings, kiln-dryers, presses and appurtenances are marvels of completeness, and models of their kind. They spend large sums of money every year in these improvements. The Menkes find their chief market for their product in the great cities of the East, and with characteristic attention to detail they give also to this matter their personal attention, making frequent journeys to the Eastern markets, so that in all the great business centers not only are their names but their faces are known. Only fourteen years ago (1875) they “rented a small farm for the purpose of raising hops.” That was the beginning ; to-day they are known in every business center of the United States and Europe as the most extensive growers and dealers in the world. A few short years ago they were making baskets with their own hands, form willows cut from beside the softly flowing river; to-day they stand foremost among the most highly respected and honored of Sacramento.