In mid-1784, John explored the territory between the
Monongahela and
Youghiogheny rivers of northwestern
Fayette County, Pennsylvania. During September of 1784, John returned to New Jersey where he remained until 1788. Abigail Ridgway, daughter of Solomon and Mary
Burr Ridgway, was born on January 4, 1765 in Burlington County. On September 9, 1786, John and Abigail were joined in marriage by Quaker ceremony in Burlington County. They would become the parents of nine children. In 1788, John, Abigail and their infant son Joseph removed to northwestern Fayette County where John "purchased a small farm of one hundred acres" of forested land about 33 miles south of
Pittsburgh. Here they lived in a small log cabin that sat close to the Little Redstone Creek as it flowed to the southwest of present-day
Perry Township before it merged with the
Monongahela River at present-day
Fayette City. The Shreve family were members of the nearby
Providence Monthly Meeting. On July 31, 1788, the Israel Shreve family, having removed from New Jersey, finally reached their destination in
Rostraver Township in southwestern
Pennsylvania. Here they resided in a farm homestead that Israel had leased. During fall of 1789, Israel Shreve and his family relocated to a farm homestead at present-day
Perryopolis that he had leased from
George Washington. John's family and his father's family would reside a few miles apart. After Israel died on December 14, 1799, John's family may have cared for
Henry Miller Shreve, Israel's son and John's half brother, who was just 14 years old at the time. John Jr. was born on November 15, 1789. Abigail died on June 4, 1808. John Jr. died on March 23, 1813. Mother and son were interred in the
Providence Meeting House Cemetery. The 1790 U.S. Federal Census lists "John Shreeves” as a resident of
Washington Township, Fayette County, Pennsylvania. In 1790, Washington Township included present-day Perry Township. John's farm homestead, sitting where the Little Redstone Creek flowed between the Monongahela River and present-day Perry Township, was about ten miles north of
Brownsville, a village on the east bank of the
Monongahela River at the mouth of
Redstone Creek. On November 17, 1812,
The Patriot newspaper reported that John Shreve was elected to the House of Representatives and would serve as a representative for Fayette County. John Shreve, after clearing his land, made a modest living by farming. However, after shipping flour to foreign port cities, he was able to trade it for other commodities that he ultimately sold at
New York City for a substantial profit. In his own words: Interestingly, local port officials made a record in the
New Orleans Wharf Register of one unnamed boat with an arrival date of June 6, 1815, a fee of "$6", and the
Noms des Proprietaires as "Shreve & Brown". On January 25, 1814,
The Patriot newspaper reported, "Mr. Shreve presented a petition from the shareholders of the Monongahela Bank of Brownsville, in Fayette County, praying for a charter of incorporation." The charter was granted and the bank would play a significant role in the growth of the economy of Brownsville. On October 31, 1815,
The Patriot newspaper reported that John Shreve had been re-elected to the House of Representatives to serve as a representative for Fayette County. During late-May of 1825, the
Marquis de Lafayette visited Brownsville. After noticing John in the large crowd, the Marquis "held out both arms to embrace his old friend." On November 5, 1829, John was granted a certificate of acceptance by Salem Monthly Meeting. Subsequently, he joined six of his children who had removed to the vicinity of
Salem in Columbiana County, Ohio. On June 1, 1840, John Shreve was listed as a pensioner for his military service in the Revolutionary War. The record shows that John was a resident in the home of his son, Joseph Shreve. Furthermore, they were both listed as residents of
Lexington Township, Stark County, Ohio. On February 24, 1841, the Salem Monthly Meeting of Friends terminated the membership of John Shreve for receiving a "pension for his services as an officer in the American Army in the Revolutionary War". The 1850 U.S. Federal Census lists John Shreve as a resident of
Goshen Township, Mahoning County, Ohio. Interestingly, the census lists John's next-door neighbor as Israel Shreve, who is his son. ==Final years==