Shelby County

Part of the neutral ground from 1803 to 1819, Shelby County was settled by Anglo-Americans from 1824 to 1836. In 1833 it was a district of the Municipality of Nacogdoches known as Tenehaw, and in 1835 it became the Municipality of Tenehaw with Nashville as the seat of government. Its name changed to Shelby in 1836 in honor of Isaac Shelby, 1750 to 1826, a gallant officer in the Continental Army Revolutionary War. It was created as a county on March 17, 1836, organized in 1837 with the county seat at Shelbyville, and the seat moved to Center in 1866. William English, Frederick Poye, George Butler, John M. Bradley, and Jonas Harrison were delegates from the District of Tenehaw to the First Convention of Texas in 1832; Martin Parmer was a delegate to the Consultation from the Municipality of Tenehaw; and Sydney O. Bennington and William O. Crawford were signers of the Texas Declaration of Independence from Shelby Municipality. Soldiers from Shelby County fought at San Jacinto and elsewhere for and in defense of the Republic of Texas. The Regulator-Moderator Feud was waged in this county from 1841 to 1844, and during that time the warring factions fought several drawn battles that entailed loss of life and property until troops of the Republic of Texas commanded by General James Smith finally restored order.

Center, Texas · United States