Shrive was a carpenter who bought many farms and houses to renovate and resell.  He had a sawmill and hoop factory where he made barrels northwest of the North Street and Vernon Street intersection.  He built his house at 60 North Vernon Street and the house next door at 74 N. Vernon. 

On the plat map, a little unnamed creek or open ditch ran from the middle of outlot 2 on Vernon Street north of North Street, crossed Vernon and zigzagged along unpaved North Street to Columbus Street intersection then across the lots west to Prairie Run.  Gustav Hopkins had his Asher business on outlot in 1866.  Since there was often running water headed to Prairie Run, it provided water for Gammill’s sawmill and hoop factory. 

Shrive helped Johan Burrer and his son Gottlieb Jacob decide to move their mill from the Big Walnut Creek which did not have enough water to turn the stones six months out of the year to 60 North Columbus Street where they could use ditch water, scrapes and saw dust from Gammill’s sawmill to generate steam to operate the mill.   Gammill agreed to build the mill for them.  However, Johan died in 1864 so 26 year old Jakie became the owner of the mill which was under construction and was not completed until 1875.

In May 1875,  Jakie married Amy Gammill (Shrive’s daughter) and Shrive built their house across North Street from the mill at 46 North Columbus Street which remained in the Burrer family until 2015.  He also built the houses at 126 and 136 South Columbus Street.

His wife Mary died in 1895.  Six years latter Shrive married Mrs. Josephine Harrison. He died on July 12, 1909 and is buried in Sunbury Memorial Park with his wife Mary and son Charles.

Great-grandson Carleton Burrer remembered it was Shrive’s character to rise early and put in long days. He was a hard worker and considered a good influential citizen. 

When North Street was paved, the village put very large tile under the street to allow the water to continue to flow underground.  Oatfield Whitney lived on West Cherry Street along the cemetery.  One day in the late 1970s he stepped in a hole in his backyard which turned out to be a broken tile from the creek or ditch.