At the May 23, 1907, company meeting, George
Salter was elected as the first Foreman of the newly organized company.
The following month, at the June 20th meeting it was reported that $161.00
had been collected and that the Trustees were empowered to purchase equipment.
During these early years of the Company, it was customary to collect
ten-cents per member at each meeting. These funds were used to pay for
the kerosene oil lamps in the company meeting room.
In August of 1907, the charter which was filed
in May, was officially recognized by the State of New York and the
Glenwood Hook & Ladder,
Engine & Hose Company was officially born. During that same month
the trustees were empowered to purchase caps and badges and the first
piece of apparatus - a used horse drawn hook and ladder, was acquired
from the Roslyn Rescue Hook & Ladder Company. Shortly after the purchase
of the hook and ladder, two hand-drawn hose carts were purchased by the
company. In those early days, the apparatus was purchased used because
the company could not afford the cost of new
equipment.
The old school bell was the first alarm system
of the fire company and served as the primary method of sounding the
alarm for a period of time. However, the membership felt that a better
system needed to be implemented and a steam whistle was installed at
the Nassau Light & Power Company's
plant on Shore Road [now called the LILCO power planti. This whistle
was also used by the Sea Cliff fire department utilizing a different
set of signals.
In July of 1907, George Latourette was elected into membership and in
September of 1907, Will Seaman and Harry Tappen joined the ranks of the
Company. Mr. Tappen would later become Supervisor of the Town of Oyster
Bay.
The membership was assessed $0.50 per member in 1913 for the purpose
of procuring flowers and white gloves that would be worn at the funerals
of departed members. The first funeral of a member that the Company attended
was that of Valentine Smith in
1914.
As the company continued to grow and prosper in June of 1915, a fire district
- consisting of Glenwood Landing and Glen Head, including the area east of
the Long Island Railroad tracks was petitioned for and formed. In order to
fund the new district. in 1916, the amount of $300.00 was levied by tax, in
each of the townships of Oyster Bay and North Hempstead on behalf of the fire
company. However, the Company was forced to resort to legal action to collect
the levied tax, and several years elapsed before the case was settled.
|
