Welcome winter! The season officially began Saturday, Dec. 21. Here’s a look back at a winter past, when some local folks made the best of the frigid weather by ice skating on Demarest Duck Pond. The image dates to around 110 years ago. The boys second and third from right are holding hockey sticks.
The similarities between the “then” photo and the “now” photo below are striking. More than a century later the landmarks are easy to identify.
Note the Demarest Fire Station on the far left. First built in the mid-1890s after the local volunteer fire service was founded, the structure has seen the addition of several garages. In the center of the photo is a home on Park Street, which is now a store. And, of course, the train station at far right is easily recognizable. Built in 1874, the station’s construction cost a large sum for the time: $6,000.
Back in 1910, Demarest had 560 residents, compared with over 5,000 today.
