New Jersey to Kentucky

John Stites moved from Elizabethtown, N.J., to Georgetown, Kentucky, where he spent the rest of his life. There are various dates given for the move. I have collected many references, with the dates varying by up to 21 years. However his move from New Jersey to Kentucky is circa 1802/3. Deeds dated 1802 still record John as being of Elizabeth Town, NJ, however in deeds dated 1803 he is described as "late of Elizabeth Town" and of "Franklin Co., Kentucky" (See Property dealings). He would appear to have moved to neighboring Scott County in about 1803/4, being mentioned in Georgetown, Scott Co., Kentucky in 1804 (see below), ending his days there.

"History of First Baptist Church of Piscataway."

"John STITES, Esq., Mayor of Elizabethtown, and a ruling elder of the Scotch Plains Church...later pastor of New York City church for 25 years, retired to KY in 1787."

Note : The writer here has confused the two Johns, father & son. The details above (apart from the "retired to KY in 1787") are those of his father, who died in 1782. And as explained above, son John did not move to KY until ca. 1803.
 

"History of Bourbon, Scott, Harrison & Nicholas Counties, Kentucky" Edited by William Henry Perrin 1882

CHAPTER VI - Scott County Precinct of Georgetown

[Extracts relating to John Stites]

".....One of the first physicians who settled in Georgetown was Dr. John Stites, born in New Jersey and educated in New York. He emigrated to Kentucky and settled in Georgetown about 1795. He was an educated man and eminent in his profession. He was the grandfather of Judge Stites, now of Louisville. He died in Georgetown in 1811.......

Chapter VIII.

Georgetown now became a real, live place and assumed the dignity of an incorporated town, by virtue of an act of the Legislature.......................

The said Judge having previously advertised the citizens of Georgetown that an election for their Trustees would be held at the court house on this day, to wit, the 10^th day of March, 1804, met agreeable thereto and received the votes, as follows in the poll below: ..............Persons voted for - ............... John Stites,......... R.M. Gano,.............

In 1807, a Masonic Lodge of A.Y. Masons was chartered and established in Georgetown. The following were among the earliest members: ......... R.M. Gano,   Dr. John Stites, ......  and others, many of whom were initiated previous to the war of 1812. ...................

Dr. William B. Keen has moved to Georgetown, to the house lately occupied by Dr. John Stites, deceased."

"County of Christian, Kentucky, Historical and Biographical" Edited by William Henry Perrin, 1884

"Abraham Stites...... was a son of Dr. John Stites, and was born in Elizabeth, N. J.,  .......He, with a large family connection of the Ganos and Stites, removed from New Jersey to the Ohio Valley in 1808, carrying their goods on horseback across the mountains to Pittsburgh, and thence by flat-boats to Cincinnati; his father's family settled near Georgetown, Ky."

Note - the 1808 date here conflicts with evidence first cited above, and the date in the previous article which have John being elected a Trustee of Georgetown in 1804.