Town of Shelby

Named for 1822 settler David Shelby, the town grew up at the mill of German pioneer Otto Von Roeder. The Ohlendorfs, Vogelsangs, Rothermels, and Vanderwerths arrived in 1845, and other Germans came in ensuing years. The post office opened in 1846 with Shelby as postmaster. A school in 1854, an agricultural society, a singing society, and a band were started. Mission work begun in 1876 led to the founding of Peace Lutheran and St. Paul Lutheran churches. By 1900 there were at least a dozen businesses here. Decline of farming led residents to live on ancestral land and work in cities.

Texas · United States