On the Evening of January 19^th, 1887 a few civic minded men living in the Village of Inwood, which was then called, Westville, got together in a cottage owned by Mr. And Mrs. Edward Rhinehart on Lord Avenue, to organize a Fire Company for the village. These men organized and named the first fire fighting unit in Inwood, the Electric Hook and Ladder Company.

The Members present named Edward Rhinehardt temporary Treasurer. The next meeting held by the Company was January 26^th, 1887 and at the time it was decided to make the number of charter members 55, the members present proceeded to elect Officers for their new Fire Company and the results were, Wilson Frazier, Foreman; Henry Smith, Asst. Foreman; Joseph B. Weatherwax, Second Asst. Foreman; Theodore Sprague, Secretary; George Hicks, Asst. Secretary; Edward Rhinehardt, Treasurer; Walter B. Wood, Financial Secretary; Trustees, William H. Wanser, Charles L. Pearsall and Peter Davenport.

It was decided to hold their meetings on the first Monday of every month, a feature which has been continued to the present date, a Charter Committee was appointed consisting of Wilson Frazier, Henry Smith, Joseph Weatherwax, Charles L. Pearsall, Theodore Sprague, Walter B. Wood, Fred Wanser, Elias H. Abrams, Edward Rhinehardt, and Peter Davenport.

On February 15^th, 1887 a Charter for the Electric Hook and Ladder Company was received from the state. After receiving the charter they proceeded to take on new members, and among the first members to present their names for membership were Thomas Pettit, Freeman Sprague, Morris Pearsall, Norris Casteen, and Freeman Bowker. Fire apparatus was needed and ways and means had to be made to procure same, so a committee headed by Walter B. Wood was appointed to solicit funds. Through different channels such as dances, parties, oyster suppers and contributions the money was raised to procure the first fire truck for our village. An offer was made to the Bayonne Fire Department of New Jersey of $150.00 for a Hook and Ladder, this offer was accepted and a deposit of $20.00 was paid.

A Committee headed by William H. Wanser went to Bayonne and brought the Hook and Ladder home. Of course the problem of housing this apparatus was on hand, so one of the members, Peter N. Davenport agreed to rent a piece of land to the Company for the sum of $6.00 per year. This deal did not materialize but instead a piece of property was bought from Henry Combs, on Doughty Boulevard, near Bayview Avenue.

It was then decided to build a building on this property so plans were drawn up for a building 18 X 24 ft. with a 10 X 12 ft. extension, the lumber was purchased. A committee of Edward Rhinehardt, William H. Wanser and Valentine Smith were appointed to get the money for the lumber, George Pettit then a builder, received the contract.

The first membership Roll Call of the new Hook and Ladder Company, February 7^th, 1887, was,:

Walter B. Wood	George Hicks
Richard Smith	Fred Wanser
George Herrick	Warren Rhinehardt
Edward Rhinehardt	Emil Zerinko
Oscar Shaw	Valentine Smith
William H. Wanser	James L. Abrams
John N. Abrams	Floyd Abrams
Charles L. Pearsall	James W. Stafford
Freeman Bowker	William A. Rhinehardt
William H. Pettit	Smith Pettit
William Gantroupe	Zopher Pearsall
H. M. Pardonna	Charles H. Bowker Sr.
Frank W. Smith	Theodore Sprague
Benjamin Ryder	Robert Brown
Peter N. Davenport	Joseph Weatherwax
Billings Hempstead	Wilson Frazier
Alexander C. Wanser	George H. Mott
Rothery Ryder	Walter F. Abrams
Lewis Craft	Elias H. Abrams
Thomas Pettit	Norris Casteen
Henry C. Smith	Charles A. Wanser
William A. Abrams	Samuel D. Abrams
Robert Hood	Morris Pearsall

BACK TO Inwood

BACK TO NASSAU COUNTY TOWNS

BACK TO INWOOD FOLKS

BACK TO NASSAU COUNTY HISTORY

E-Mail- Frank Parise - comments, questions?

Edited by Linda Pearsall Harvey

"