2. Henry Friedrich Menge (1894-1895)
Served 1 Year
Henrich “Henry” Menge was born in Germany on March 31, 1848, and was the son of Henrich and Anna Menge. At the age of 4, he immigrated to the United States on July 31, 1852, with his parents to New York City. He married Joanna Louise in 1869. He left behind his Brooklyn butcher shop to become proprietor of the Grand Central Hotel in Hicksville. He would later become a silver beater like his brother-in-law, Henry Louise.
Henry and Joanna lived at a home on John Street, of which maps today show that the home still stands at the corner of West John Street and William Street, near the corner of Newbridge Road.
When the Civil War erupted, Henry was a boy of thirteen. Only three years later, however, he seized an opportunity to ease his mother's financial burden. Governor Seymour immediately dispatched 3,000 men in existing National Guard regiments. Henry joined Company H 84; New York Militia Infantry, a Brooklyn-based regiment led by Col. Frederick A. Conkling. Young Menge likely had to misstate his age to enlist. He also spent time with the 2nd Independent Battery 1st Artillery Union Army and when his time was up, Private Menge and his comrades returned to Brooklyn. Henry Menge also took an active role in the Grand Army of the Republic, there were 410,000 members at its peak fraternal organization that advocated on behalf of Union veterans of the Civil War. It lobbied for the establishment of pensions for war veterans, and it promoted fair treatment of veterans by society including their being allowed to vote if they happened to be black.
In 1894, when Henry was serving as Foreman of Protection Hook and Ladder Company One, he stepped down as Foreman as required by the By-laws. The by-law required Henry to resign from the Company to serve as Chief.
Chief Henry took pride in keeping the members in a state of readiness. During his two years, Henry would hold unannounced alarms to test the response of his members and their apparatus. Each time, he held his standard to a 5-minute response which was met each time to his satisfaction. He would purposefully light barrels and boxes on fire prior to sounding the alarm to make sure the response was safe and necessary.In August of 1894, the department was rocked with scandal, Ernest Digby, an Assistant Foreman in Company 1 and agent for the Long Island Railroad disappeared. He left his wife and young daughter with less than $500 dollars. The 38-year-old was popular because of his prominence and hard work in charitable affairs. He was by personal endeavor a part of the successful benefit that helped raise funds for the widow of recently deceased Foreman, Joseph Soffel. Chief Menge recognized that the money raised disappeared with him and Digby was never found.
The February 1895 meeting of the Hicksville Fire Department at Becker’s Hall proved to be a lively meeting when Chief Menge laid the matter of insubordination of Foreman Fred Kloenne of Hook and Ladder Company One. There was a grievance brought forward that the said foreman disobeyed the Chief’s order to bring out his company for drill on Thanksgiving Day. The Grievance Committee having reviewed the matter, reported it was accepted as read. An ensuing heated argument from all sides immediately erupted and finally the matter was laid on the table. As a result of the argument, Chief Menge created a new committee to revise the by-laws and appointed members. In addition, Ex-Chief Arnold Heitz brought up a lengthy resolution to appoint a committee to investigate the mismanagement of Company 2. The members that were named to be on the committee refused to serve and the resolution was put before the members and not passed.
In 1918 on Memorial Day, the village of Hicksville held a parade and marched to the Triangle, where three oak trees, one for each man lost, were planted. Chief Menge personally planted one of them. Five weeks later, on Independence Day, the village had a large celebration for its returning veterans, and it then dedicated the commemorative boulder which bears the names of those who served in that war. That boulder now sits at the Hicksville Middle School on Jerusalem Avenue. Henry Menge and Louis Meyer, Hicksville's last surviving Civil War veterans, shared a place of honor in the parade that day, riding in an automobile,together holding up an American flag. Three of his friends and community members Joseph Barry, Walter Wheeler and Charles Wagner were all killed in action during World War I and did not return home.
Henry was part of the 1902 and 1908 Parade Committee for the Southern New York Firemen’s Association Convention’s Executive Committee. The work of the convention was held at the Grand Central Hotel on Broadway. All along the line of march on Broadway the stores and residences have been gayly and plentifully decorated with a profusion of colors and the delegates and visiting companies were given a hearty sendoff. Out of the most conspicuous men of the day was the Grand Marshal Henry Puvogel mounted on a prancing charger, the envy and admiration.
Henry was a Republican Leader for the Henry L. Bacon Club based in Hicksville.
Chief Menge passed away on August 8, 1925, and was interred at Cypress Hills National Cemetery, Section 2, Plot 9430 in Brooklyn, New York. The cemetery was chosen by his family to be with his brethren soldiers of the Civil War. He is interred within the three acres that were set aside for the burial of Civil War dead in what became known as Union Grounds.
