BIOGRAPHY: Daniel D. Demarest; Nyack, Rockland co., New York

transcribed by W. David Samuelsen for USGenWeb Archives

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Portrait and Biographical Record of Rockland and Orange Counties New York
Containing Portraits and Biographical Sketches of Prominent and Representative
Citizens of the Counties.
Together with Biographies and Portraits of all the Presidents of the United
States.
New York and Chicago; Chapman Publishing Co., 1895

DANIEL D. DEMAREST, who is engaged in the real-estate and insurance business
at Nyack, was born six miles west of this village, at a place now called
Nanuet, December 4, 1813. He is the son of David B. and Sarah (Blauvelt)
Demarest, the former probably a native of Rockland County and a member of a
family that were early settlers of New Jersey. During the War of 1812 he
rendered service in the American army. His wife was a daughter of Harmon
Blauvelt, who died at the age of ninety-two. His only son, Daniel, had no
sons, so the name is not perpetuated in this branch of the family. During the
cholera epidemic in 1832 our subject's father died, a victim to the disease.
He was then fifty-four years of age.

Of a family of six children, Daniel D. Demarest is the sole survivor. He was
taken in infancy to Piermont, at the time his father enlisted in the army. At
the age of eight years he was brought to Nyack, where his father, a carpenter
by occupation, was employed as foreman. Later the family went to New York,
from which city, after his father's death, our subject returned to Nyack
and opened a grocery store on the dock, at the foot of Bird Street, near the
Hudson River. His mother accompanied him to this city and he made the home for
the family. In 1839 he erected, on the corner of Broadway and Bird Street, the
business block which is still standing, and there he engaged in merchandising
until 1864. In 1852 he purchased the property situated opposite on Broadway,
and established a lumber-yard. In 1861 he bought a dock property at the foot
of Third Street and had his lumber brought from Albany on schooners.

After continuing in business for more than thirty years, Mr. Demarest sold
out, in 1864, deeming it advisable to do so on account of the exigencies of
war. Others who purchased failed, a fact which shows that his judgment was
correct. As a business man he had been more than ordinarily successful, and
his various enterprises had netted him a neat sum. For years he has handled
the affairs of the Westchester Mutual Fire Insurance Company in this district,
and he has also established other companies. In addition to this he has
engaged extensively in the buying and selling of real estate.

While in the mercantile business, Mr. Demarest always declined official
positions, but since retiring therefrom he has been the incumbent of various
posts of responsibility. The Republicans having a small majority, his party,
the Democratic, sought a candidate sufficiently popular to overcome this
majority, and they urged him to accept the nomination for Supervisor. This he
did and was elected. In 1876 he was asked to accept the nomination for County
Treasurer, and, consenting to do so, he was elected to that office. He filled
the place four terms of three years each, making a continuous service of
twelve years. Instead of going to New City, he had the Treasurer's office in
his own office at Nyack. During the administration of Franklin Pierce, he was
appointed Postmaster, which position he continued to fill under Presidents
Buchanan and Lincoln, serving seven years altogether. He assisted in raising
the first company sent from Rockland County in response to the call for the
first seventy-five thousand men for the Union army, and took
an active part in caring for the troops and their families.

January 8, 1838, Mr. Demarest married Miss Rachel C. Onderdonk, who was born
January 6, 1814, and died August 8, 1892, after a happy wedded life of nearly
fifty-five years. They had two daughters, who attained mature years. Sarah
married George W. Towner, and died in early womanhood, leaving three children,
two of whom are living, Lillie and Platt B.; her husband is also deceased.
Ellen is living with her father, caring for him in his old age. There were two
children, a son and daughter, who died in early childhood. Since 1848 Mr.
Demarest has been a member of the Presbyterian Church, which his wife had
joined some years before. He has served constantly in some official capacity,
and has always been held in the highest regard by the other members of the
congregation.