1. Arnold Godfrey Heitz (1893)
Served 11 Months
Arnold G. Heitz was born in Manhattan on September 15, 1870. He is the son of German immigrant, John Frederick, and Jane Heitz. He married Hermie Angelia Tewes on December 21, 1892. He owned a jewelry shop in Manhattan, a watch maker by trade, a trade that he learned from his father. Arnold was also one of largest landowners in Hicksville.
His residence was recorded as 8 Broadway, Hicksville and was very active in community affairs and protecting homes and businesses as a focus. While fire protection was haphazardly organized prior to 1868, there were two individual companies providing the service. Protection Hook and Ladder Company One with a wagon of ladders and buckets built by the local blacksmith and truck builder, Jacob Christ. The ladder truck had many buckets suspended from it and was decorated in red and gold, while the brass work was all shining. The wagon would be hitched to a team of the best horses in the village and driven by de Languillette.
The other wagon was Chemical Engine Company 1 and Arnold was not only a member, but their Foreman from 1886 through 1890. Chief Heitz secured property from Mr. deLanguillette and allowed the firemen to build a small place on his land to house the Chemical Steamer. It had a hip roof, and a little tower finished with a flagpole. The manager of the Corbert estate was so thankful for the good work of the firemen a short time before that he donated a bell for the tower.
In 1892, the Chemical Engine Company One was chartered prior to the department and Arnold was elected its Foreman to help them get the start they needed. They would later become Independent Engine & Hose Company 2.
The earliest reports made note that John Kallert almost dropped dead after swinging the hammer against the split 3-foot section of railroad ring that was used to alert firemen of a major conflagration.
In February of 1893 a joint meeting of Fire Companies at the Grand Central Hotel was called for the purpose of organizing a fire department and electing a Fire Chief. The meeting was called to order by Frank Mars and Julius Purick, however, this meeting was protested by Hook and Ladder Company One as they felt this important issue was being rushed and railroaded down their throats. Company One was in favor of joining the three Fire Companies but would not elect a Chief or Assistant Chief and decided to withdraw on that issue.
The vote went forward anyway, and four members were appointed election tellers John Reinhardt, Fred Becker, Robert Wider, and Fred Gleckler to proceed in the elections of a Chief and an Assistant Chief. The following men were nominated for chief: Arnold G. Heitz, and Henry Graf; Assistant Chief: Harry Nicholas, and John Monsburg with the following results: Heitz received 32 votes, and Graf 19. Arnold G. Heitz was duly elected as the first Chief of the Hicksville Fire Department. Chief Heitz's Assistant was Harry Nicholas who received 34 votes, while John Monsburg won 16 of the votes with Henry Graf placing third with two votes.
In June of 1893, Chief Heitz and the members tackled their first major fire at the residence of Henry Graf and M. A Lauck. At 11:40 AM firemen worked under great disadvantages, the principal one being the scarcity of water. The engines had to be removed from one cistern to another more than a half dozen times. Seven cisterns were emptied before the fire was under control. The flames had taken full advantage of the second floor and were shooting out of the roof. It was found that it would be useless to save the building and to protect the primary residences.
A meeting of Protection Hook and Ladder Company One was held and the question that was tabled to consolidate all the Companies was voted unanimously to pass a resolution, and they got behind Chief Heitz, who was present at the meeting. Chief Heitz thanked the Company and made a few appropriate remarks when all the companies were united.
The next order of business at this meeting was to appoint a committee to draft a set of by-laws to govern the operations of the department. Chief Heitz appointed five members from each company to investigate and write the by-laws.
During his term while on the way to a store fire in Jericho in 1893, the wagon which was being pulled by a team of horses broke its axle causing nearly all the members who were seated to be thrown. Two of them received broken legs, August Peters, and Nicholas Schmitt.
On July 20, 1893, twelve carpenters were injured when the timbers collapsed at the building they were working on. The firm of Alart and McGuire Pickle Factory had workers in the west of the building, when without any cause the timbers collapsed, and the men fell fifty feet into the cellar. The men were initially cared for by Chief Heitz and his men before local doctors could be rounded up. The men were all later cared for at their homes.
In January of 1894, Chief Heitz relinquished his position to Assistant Chief and good friend,Civil War Veteran, Henry Menge.
Arnold was a member of the Primrose Lodge I.O.O.F Pioneer Lodge 569 and he was Noble Grand Master in 1893. The Independent Order of Odd Fellows fraternity was one of the largest charitable organizations in the world.
In 1897, Arnold incorporated the family cemetery, that was doing business as The Heitz Cemetery at Hicksville. The cemetery was established by Arnold’s father Fred in 1840 and it would become the Plain Lawn Cemetery Association. He remained on as its President with Board members; Charles Voigt, Andrew Heberer, Edgard Jackson and Daniel Sutter. The cemetery remains functional today and is located on Old Country Road. Many of the Chiefs listed in this history are interred along with many prominent village residents.
It was a sad event on April 22, 1903, when Arnold’s wife, Hermine unexpectedly died of a stomach illness at the age of 28. She left Arnold with three children under the age of 8. The tragedy would set in motion the unexpected move somewhere between 1909 and 1910, when Arnold moved his family to Middletown, New York, where he
purchased several hundred acres of farmland, and became a dairy farmer and remarried.Chief Arnold G Heitz passed away on June 13, 1942, in Montgomery, New York. Heis interred at what was once known as the Heitz Cemetery and now known as Plain Lawn Cemetery, in Hicksville, New York.
