He was the third son of Sarah (née Vedder) De Forest and Obadiah Lansing De Forest,[1] who was first elected deputy sheriff on the Know Nothing ticket, and then three terms as the Democratic sheriff of Schenectady in 1855.

[2] He attended the Union Classical Institute in Schenectady and graduated in 1864 from Poughkeepsie's Eastman Business College.

He was also successful businessman, with interests including real estate, which made him the city's largest landlord.

In addition, he was active in banking as a board of directors member for the Citizens' Trust Companies.

This article incorporates public domain material from the Biographical Directory of the United States Congress