Charles Major of Shelbyville wrote The Bears of Blue River in 1901, a collection of stories set in and around Shelby County during the 1820s about a young boy, Balser Brent, his pet bears Tom and Jerry, and their adventures. Major wrote 10 other books as well and was best known for When Knighthood Was In Flower, published in 1898, which became a bestseller and was later adapted into a play, a comic opera, and two movies.