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Note: John and his family remained in Burlington County, NJ until 1775 when they removed to the present site of Laurens, Otsego County, NY. He built his log cabin and mills in Unadilla Township, Otsego County. The village of Laurens later grew up where he settled and the site of his log house is on its main street.
The Otsego Patent of 69,000 acres of land was issued February 3, 1770 to Charles Reade, Thomas Wharton, Richard Smith and 66 others, each getting 1,000 acres. Richard Smith is reputed to have induced John to settle on this tract of land for the purpose of founding a Quaker colony. There is also the opinion that John, viewing the outbreak of the Revolutionary War with alarm, was desirous of taking his family into the wilderness where his sons would have less temptation to join the Army.
John purchased 200 acres of land and then was given 100 acres additional land in consideration for building the first saw mill and grist mill. In New Jersey, John had been a carpenter and preacher but in New York he became a farmer, surveyor, millwright, stone mason, and blacksmith. He and his family built the mills. In the War with the British, he was considered a neutral and his house was often the stopping place for both Indians and Colonists.
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