In the Beginning...........
The depression of 1844 in Hicksville slowed the development of the area until 1849 when Fredrick Heyner, in partnership with John Heitz, purchased over 1,000 acres two years after Heitz had arrived in this Country from Germany. Heitz operated a successful watchmaker business in New York City, at the time he joined Heyner. Moving to Hicksville, he increased his holdings and erected a small store. Wide streets lined with trees was part of his plan, when he and Heyner sold home plots, and as the residential area grew, the need for fire protection became necessary.
It was the summer of 1866 the first recorded event of fire to strike the community was when a thunderstorm spent its fury in the Hamlet of Hicksville. Lightning played hide and seek in many places. It struck the barn on Rohrbach’s place on Broadway near the railroad station. All his smaller buildings were devastated in the fire. For many days and evenings thereafter, the formation of a fire department was discussed in Beckers Brewery, de Lanquilette General store, and the Grand Central Hotel.
Things remained at a standstill for several years until the next big event in fire history, which was an exhibition of a Babcock Fire Extinguisher in the rear of the de Lanquilette store. Present at this exhibition were many of Hicksville's prominent citizens such as, Voight, Weterau, Heitz, O'Hara, Rohrbach, McGunnigle, Duffy, Liebke, Herzog, Kluene, Christ, Hahn,Quartitus, and Freytag. As the story goes, this extinguisher worked so well that it remained in place at the Grand Central Hotel until 1868 when the first fire company came into existence.
John Underhill was elected foreman with Stephan O'Hara as his assistant when the first fire company was officially organized as Protection Hook and Ladder Company One on November 1, 1868.
Shortly after its inception, Protection Hook and Ladder Company One battled a devastating fire at Wallmullers place, which leveled the building. The lack of water again proved to be the major factor in the loss. The need for better equipment became a primary concern with the continued growth of the community. In 1876, a second company was established with the purchase of a chemical engine for power and increased capacity. Chemical Engine Company One as it was first known was organized under the leadership of Foreman John Quartitus and Conrad Wolhurst as his assistant. Citizens Engine Company 3 was formed in 1893 with a very substantial charter list of members. Its first apparatus was an old ship's pump donated by Hartmann Rohrbach and its first Foreman. In addition to Hartmann, the other officers were Robert Widmer, Henry Graf, and William Jaegle.
Company 2 Hand Pumper (Circa 1893)
1st Fire House (Circa 1893) Located on William Street
