Nesbitt article by Karen
James R. Nesbitt
By Karen Cuccinello 11-2020
James lived about half his life in Delaware County and the other half nearby in Otsego County. This photo is from the Stamford Village Library history room photo collection.
James was born in Rose’s Brook July 18,1863, a son of George (1823-1896) and Elizabeth (Miller 1843-1865) Nesbitt. His grandfather George came to the USA from England at about the age of 18, and his grandmother Elizabeth (1792-1877) was born in Westchester County, NY. James had one younger sister, Carrie (Mrs. Wetmore), and they lived with their uncle Robert Nesbitt of Stamford in 1870 and another uncle, James Miller of Davenport, in 1875 and 1880.
He was living in South Kortright when he married his first wife Sarah Whipple (1869-1895) on November 21, 1888. From the December 6, 1888 Hobart Independent- Mr. and Mrs. James R. Nesbitt arrived home from their wedding tour last Friday. On Monday evening a few of “Jim’s” friends honored him with a serenade.
He and Sarah had one child, James Clark (1899-1962), who became a teacher, then dairy farmer and finally partner of the West-Nesbitt feed mill in Oneonta. In 1902 James, a farmer of Fergusonville, married Miss Nellie F. Snyder of Westford and they went on to have two children: George, (1903-1985), who became a professor at Hamilton College, and Elizabeth (1909-2003), who was single and working in assorted offices in Utica, Washington, DC and NYC.
In 1919 they moved to Schenevus, in the town of Maryland, and continued farming. After an illness of several years James died July 27, 1939 and was buried in Fergusonville Cemetery with his first wife (posted on findagrave.com). He had served at various times as Supervisor of the town of Davenport, Delaware county, as a member of the Schenevus village board and of the Board of Education and as a trustee of the Methodist church, of which he was a member. His wife Nellie died in 1946 at a nursing home in New Hartford and was buried in Davenport.