Demarest, Edward J.

Submitted by Mike Miller

Edward J. Demarest, the efficient cashier of the Louisiana State Lottery company, was born in New Orleans, September 15, 1847, to John M. Demarest, who was a native of New Jersey but came to New Orleans in 1832. He died in 1880 at the age of sixty-five years, having been a wholesale clothier and manufacturer of New Orleans and Newark, N. J., where he did an extensive business for many years. He was associated in business with a Mr. Alling, the firm name being Demarest & Alling of New Orleans and Ailing & Demarest of Newark, N. J. He held a number of official positions and was assistant city treasurer under Adam Giffen and was also assistant state treasurer after the war. He was a director and secretary of the New Orleans City & Lake Railroad company, and in early times was a member of the Old Volunteer Fire department. He was a member of the Firemen's Benevolent association and was at one time a member of the school board. He was a whig in politics, but after the war became a democrat. He was married in New Orleans to Frances A. Robitaille, of this city, but a native of Natchez, Miss. She died in 1881, when fifty-seven years of age, having borne six children, of whom Edward J. was the second. His education was obtained in the schools of New Orleans, and when a lad of fourteen years he became an employe in the banking house of M. Judson & Co, remaining with them until their failure in 1867. In 1868 he was tendered a position by Mr. Charles T. Howard in the Louisiana State Lottery company, and for the last seven year's he has been its cashier, and is also Mr. John A. Morris' confidential man. He has discharged his obligations in a faithful and able manner, having made thousands of people happy by distributing over $l0,000,000 in less than one year's time, and his services are regarded by his employers as very valuable. He is a director in the New Orleans City & Lake Railroad company, and also in the Prytania Street Market company, and was at one time a director in the New Orleans Insurance company and Jackson Brewery. He is a life member of the Southern Yacht club and the old Shakespeare club. In 1878 he espoused Miss Victory Bredow, of this city, daughter of Gustav Bredow, a native of Germany, who came to New Orleans when a boy of seventeen years. Major Bredow entered the Confederate service at the commencement and served through the Civil war as major of the Twenty-eighth Louisiana infantry. To Mr. and Mrs. Demarest five sons and four daughters have been born. The Demarest family originally came from France, and were early settlers of New Jersey.

Biographical and Historical Memoires of Louisiana, (vol. 1), p. 376. Published by the Goodspeed Publishing Company, Chicago, 1892.