24. Henry Diedrich Luhmann (1936)
Served 1 Year
Henry Luhmann was born on October 16, 1905, in the Bronx to his parents, Ahron and Wilhelmina (Prigge) Luhmann. He married Wilhelmina “Minnie” Kasten on June 28, 1927. They lived at 25 Flower Street. He was a Milkman at the M. H. Renken Dairy for over 25 years.
He joined Protection Hook and Ladder Company 1 in 1928 and was a member until 1958, when he moved to Blue Point to be with his daughter. He served as Captain in 1931 and 1932.
In 1933, Henry was elected 2nd Assistant Chief and in 1935 he moved to 1st Assistant and was subsequently elected the 24th Chief in 1935. His Assistant Chiefs were Harry Borley, (1st) and Charles Steinhauer (2nd).
During his term, a new resolution was passed that all ex-chiefs would have a change in their dress uniform. They would no longer wear white hats and a gold badge, but switch to blue hats with gold badges with a “blue” dot in the middle.
In February, two fires caused extensive damage to a house and barn of Al Swinge on Heitz Place and the home of Michael Geuna at 69 Jerusalem Avenue. Both fires were of undetermined origin.
While serving his term, Chief Luhmann assisted the Street Sign Committee for the community. This committee was an offshoot of the Works Progress Administration (WPA) that would rename the duplicate streets in Hicksville. At the time of his term there were 7 Maple Streets, 6 First Streets, 3 Fifth Streets, 3 South Parks Streets along with multiple, Howard, Oak, Regent, Elm, Pine and William Streets. This effort not just aids the postal service, but it will eliminate confusion for responding firefighters.
After leaving office, Henry was Chairman of the 13th Annual Labor Day Parade and Drill in 1937, and he would become a charter member and past President (1944-1945) of the Volunteer and Exempts Firemen’s Benevolent Association of Hicksville.
Chief Luhmann passed away at the age of 57 on July 19, 1963, and he is interred at Plain Lawn Cemetery.
