Shelby County is a
county
A county is a geographic region of a country used for administrative or other purposesChambers Dictionary, L. Brookes (ed.), 2005, Chambers Harrap Publishers Ltd, Edinburgh in certain modern nations. The term is derived from the Old French ...
in the
U.S. state
In the United States, a state is a constituent political entity, of which there are 50. Bound together in a political union, each state holds governmental jurisdiction over a separate and defined geographic territory where it shares its sove ...
of
Indiana
Indiana () is a U.S. state in the Midwestern United States. It is the 38th-largest by area and the 17th-most populous of the 50 States. Its capital and largest city is Indianapolis. Indiana was admitted to the United States as the 19th s ...
. As of the
2010 United States Census
The United States census of 2010 was the twenty-third United States national census. National Census Day, the reference day used for the census, was April 1, 2010. The census was taken via mail-in citizen self-reporting, with enumerators servin ...
, the population was 44,436.
The
county seat
A county seat is an administrative center, seat of government, or capital city of a county or civil parish. The term is in use in Canada, China, Hungary, Romania, Taiwan, and the United States. The equivalent term shire town is used in the US st ...
(and only incorporated city) is
Shelbyville.
History
After the
American Revolutionary War
The American Revolutionary War (April 19, 1775 – September 3, 1783), also known as the Revolutionary War or American War of Independence, was a major war of the American Revolution. Widely considered as the war that secured the independence of t ...
established US sovereignty over the territory of the upper midwest, the new federal government defined the
Northwest Territory
The Northwest Territory, also known as the Old Northwest and formally known as the Territory Northwest of the River Ohio, was formed from unorganized western territory of the United States after the American Revolutionary War. Established in 1 ...
in 1787, which included the area of present-day Indiana. In 1800, Congress separated Ohio from the Northwest Territory, designating the rest of the land as the Indiana Territory. President Thomas Jefferson chose William Henry Harrison as the governor of the territory, and Vincennes was established as the capital. After the Michigan Territory was separated and the Illinois Territory was formed, Indiana was reduced to its current size and geography. By December 1816 the Indiana Territory was admitted to the Union as a state.
The
Native people
Indigenous peoples are culturally distinct ethnic groups whose members are directly descended from the earliest known inhabitants of a particular geographic region and, to some extent, maintain the language and culture of those original people ...
who inhabited these areas prior to arrival of European settlers were generally resistant to the loss of their lands. As settlers pushed into the area, treaties signed by some leaders with United States representatives ceded large areas of their territory to the US. Starting in 1794, Native American titles to Indiana lands were extinguished by usurpation, purchase, or war and treaty. The United States acquired land from the Native Americans in the
1809 treaty of Fort Wayne, and by the
treaty of St. Mary's in 1818, which included the future Shelby County.
The Indiana State Legislature passed a bill on 31 December 1821 that authorized the creation of four counties, including Shelby. On 1 July 1822 the county was organized, beginning with selecting a site for the county seat.
The new county was named for Gen.
Isaac Shelby
Isaac Shelby (December 11, 1750 – July 18, 1826) was the first and fifth Governor of Kentucky and served in the state legislatures of Virginia
Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a state in the Mid-Atlantic an ...
, who defeated the British at the
Battle of Kings Mountain
The Battle of Kings Mountain was a military engagement between Patriot and Loyalist militias in South Carolina during the Southern Campaign of the American Revolutionary War, resulting in a decisive victory for the Patriots. The battle took pla ...
in the
Revolutionary War. Shelby then became the first
Governor of Kentucky
The governor of the Commonwealth of Kentucky is the head of government of Kentucky. Sixty-two men and one woman have served as governor of Kentucky. The governor's term is four years in length; since 1992, incumbents have been able to seek re-el ...
. During the
War of 1812
The War of 1812 (18 June 1812 – 17 February 1815) was fought by the United States of America and its indigenous allies against the United Kingdom and its allies in British North America, with limited participation by Spain in Florida. It bega ...
, he led the army of Kentucky into
Canada
Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by tot ...
, and defeated the British at the decisive
Battle of the Thames
The Battle of the Thames , also known as the Battle of Moraviantown, was an American victory in the War of 1812 against Tecumseh's Confederacy and their British allies. It took place on October 5, 1813, in Upper Canada, near Chatham. The Britis ...
in 1813.
Geography
The low, rolling hills of Shelby County are lightly carved by drainages, but are otherwise completely devoted to agriculture or urban development. The western edge of the county is drained by
Sugar Creek, flowing south-southwestward into
Johnson County. The central and SW parts of the county are drained by
Big Blue River, flowing south-southwestward into Johnson County. The lower part of the county is drained by
Flatrock River
The Flatrock River, also known as Flatrock Creek and other variants of the two names, is a U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map, accessed May 19, 2011 tributary of the East Fork of th ...
, flowing southwestward into
Bartholomew County. The terrain slopes to the southwest, with its highest elevations (930 feet/283 meters ASL) along the eastern part of its northern border with
Hancock County. According to the 2010 census, the county has a total area of , of which (or 99.61%) is land and (or 0.39%) is water.
[
]
City and towns
* Edinburgh
Edinburgh ( ; gd, Dùn Èideann ) is the capital city of Scotland and one of its 32 Council areas of Scotland, council areas. Historically part of the county of Midlothian (interchangeably Edinburghshire before 1921), it is located in Lothian ...
(part)
* Fairland
* Morristown
* St. Paul
Paul; grc, Παῦλος, translit=Paulos; cop, ⲡⲁⲩⲗⲟⲥ; hbo, פאולוס השליח (previously called Saul of Tarsus;; ar, بولس الطرسوسي; grc, Σαῦλος Ταρσεύς, Saũlos Tarseús; tr, Tarsuslu Pavlus; ...
(part)
* Shelbyville (city/county seat)
Unincorporated communities
* Beech Brook
* Bengal
Bengal ( ; bn, বাংলা/বঙ্গ, translit=Bānglā/Bôngô, ) is a geopolitical, cultural and historical region in South Asia, specifically in the eastern part of the Indian subcontinent at the apex of the Bay of Bengal, predom ...
* Blue Ridge
* Boggstown
* Brookfield
* Candleglo Village
* Clover Village
* Fenns
* Flat Rock
* Fountaintown
* Freeport
* Geneva
Geneva ( ; french: Genève ) frp, Genèva ; german: link=no, Genf ; it, Ginevra ; rm, Genevra is the List of cities in Switzerland, second-most populous city in Switzerland (after Zürich) and the most populous city of Romandy, the French-speaki ...
* Green Meadows
* Gwynneville
* Knighthood Grove
* Knighthood Village
* Lewis Creek
* London
London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...
* London Heights
* Marietta
* Marion Marion may refer to:
People
*Marion (given name)
*Marion (surname)
*Marion Silva Fernandes, Brazilian footballer known simply as "Marion"
*Marion (singer), Filipino singer-songwriter and pianist Marion Aunor (born 1992)
Places Antarctica
* Mario ...
* Meiks
* Meltzer Meltzer is a surname of German or Yiddish origin, meaning " malt or beer maker".
Notable people with the surname include:
*Albert Meltzer (1920–1996), British anarcho-communist activist and writer
* Allan Meltzer (1928–2017), American economi ...
* Middletown
* Morven
* Mount Auburn
* Norristown Norristown may mean:
* Norristown, Arkansas, an unincorporated community
* Norristown, Georgia, an unincorporated community
* Norristown, Indiana, an unincorporated community
* Norristown, Pennsylvania
Norristown is a municipality with home ...
* Pleasant View
* Pleasure Valley
* Prescott
* Rays Crossing
* Rolling Ridge
* Sleepy Hollow
* Smithland
* Sugar Creek
* Waldron (census-designated place)
* Walkerville
* Wilson Corner
Townships
* Addison
Addison may refer to:
Places Canada
* Addison, Ontario
United States
*Addison, Alabama
*Addison, Illinois
*Addison Street in Chicago, Illinois which runs by Wrigley Field
* Addison, Kentucky
*Addison, Maine
*Addison, Michigan
*Addison, New York
...
* Brandywine Brandywine may refer to:
Food and drink
*Brandy, a spirit produced by distilling wine
*Brandywine tomato, a variety of heirloom tomato
Geographic locations Canada
* Brandywine Falls Provincial Park, British Columbia
* Brandywine Mountain, British ...
* Hanover
Hanover (; german: Hannover ; nds, Hannober) is the capital and largest city of the German state of Lower Saxony. Its 535,932 (2021) inhabitants make it the 13th-largest city in Germany as well as the fourth-largest city in Northern Germany ...
* Hendricks
* Jackson
Jackson may refer to:
People and fictional characters
* Jackson (name), including a list of people and fictional characters with the surname or given name
Places
Australia
* Jackson, Queensland, a town in the Maranoa Region
* Jackson North, Qu ...
* Liberty
Liberty is the ability to do as one pleases, or a right or immunity enjoyed by prescription or by grant (i.e. privilege). It is a synonym for the word freedom.
In modern politics, liberty is understood as the state of being free within society fr ...
* Marion Marion may refer to:
People
*Marion (given name)
*Marion (surname)
*Marion Silva Fernandes, Brazilian footballer known simply as "Marion"
*Marion (singer), Filipino singer-songwriter and pianist Marion Aunor (born 1992)
Places Antarctica
* Mario ...
* Moral
A moral (from Latin ''morālis'') is a message that is conveyed or a lesson to be learned from a story or event. The moral may be left to the hearer, reader, or viewer to determine for themselves, or may be explicitly encapsulated in a maxim. A ...
* Noble
A noble is a member of the nobility.
Noble may also refer to:
Places Antarctica
* Noble Glacier, King George Island
* Noble Nunatak, Marie Byrd Land
* Noble Peak, Wiencke Island
* Noble Rocks, Graham Land
Australia
* Noble Island, Great B ...
* Shelby
* Sugar Creek
* Union
Union commonly refers to:
* Trade union, an organization of workers
* Union (set theory), in mathematics, a fundamental operation on sets
Union may also refer to:
Arts and entertainment
Music
* Union (band), an American rock group
** ''Un ...
* Van Buren
* Washington
Washington commonly refers to:
* Washington (state), United States
* Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States
** A metonym for the federal government of the United States
** Washington metropolitan area, the metropolitan area centered o ...
Adjacent counties
* Hancock County - north
* Rush County - east
* Decatur County Decatur County is the name of various past and present counties in the United States, all named for Stephen Decatur:
*Decatur County, Georgia
*Decatur County, Indiana
*Decatur County, Iowa
*Decatur County, Kansas
*Decatur County, Tennessee
*Decatur ...
- southeast
* Bartholomew County - south
* Johnson County - west
* Marion County - northwest
Major highways
* Interstate 65
Interstate 65 (I-65) is a major north–south Interstate Highway in the central United States. As with most primary Interstates ending in 5, it is a major crosscountry, north–south route, connecting between the Great Lakes and the Gulf ...
* Interstate 74
}
Interstate 74 (I-74) is an Interstate Highway in the Midwestern and Southeastern United States. Its western end is at an interchange with I-80 in Davenport, Iowa (Quad Cities); the eastern end of its Midwest segment is at an interchange ...
* U.S. Route 52
U.S. Route 52 (US 52) is a major United States highway in the central United States that extends from the northern to southeastern region of the United States. Contrary to most other even-numbered U.S. Highways, US 52 primarily follows ...
* U.S. Route 421
U.S. Route 421 (also U.S. Highway 421, US 421) is a diagonal northwest–southeast United States Numbered Highway in the states of North Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, Kentucky, and Indiana. The highway runs for from Fort Fisher, North Caro ...
* Indiana State Road 9
State Road 9 in the U.S. State of Indiana is a long north–south state highway in the eastern portion of Indiana. Its southern terminus is near Columbus at State Road 46, and the northern terminus is at the Michigan/Indiana border between Ho ...
* Indiana State Road 44
Indiana State Road 44 (SR 44) in the State of Indiana begins in the west at Interstate 69 and State Road 37 (SR 37) in Martinsville and runs eastward to the Ohio state line in Union County in two broken sections. It is broken in Frank ...
* Indiana State Road 244
State Road 244 (SR 244) is a State Road in the eastern section of the state of Indiana. Running for about in a general east–west direction, connecting rural portions of Shelby, Rush, and Franklin counties. SR 244 was originally introduced in ...
* Indiana State Road 252
State Road 252 (SR 252) in the U.S. state of Indiana consists of two segments. The western stretch runs from Interstate 69 and State Road 37 in Martinsville to State Road 9 between Hope and Shelbyville. The eastern stretch is from U.S ...
Climate and weather
In recent years, average temperatures in Shelbyville have ranged from a low of in January to a high of in July, although a record low of was recorded in January 1994 and a record high of was recorded in July 1954. Average monthly precipitation ranged from in January to in May.[
]
2010 Census
As of the 2010 United States Census
The United States census of 2010 was the twenty-third United States national census. National Census Day, the reference day used for the census, was April 1, 2010. The census was taken via mail-in citizen self-reporting, with enumerators servin ...
, there were 44,436 people, 17,302 households, and 12,221 families in the county. The population density was . There were 19,080 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the county was 95.4% white, 1.0% black or African American, 0.5% Asian, 0.2% American Indian, 1.6% from other races, and 1.2% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 3.7% of the population.[ In terms of ancestry, 28.5% were ]German
German(s) may refer to:
* Germany (of or related to)
**Germania (historical use)
* Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language
** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law
**Ger ...
, 13.1% were American
American(s) may refer to:
* American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America"
** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America
** American ancestry, pe ...
, 12.2% were Irish
Irish may refer to:
Common meanings
* Someone or something of, from, or related to:
** Ireland, an island situated off the north-western coast of continental Europe
***Éire, Irish language name for the isle
** Northern Ireland, a constituent unit ...
, and 9.0% were English
English usually refers to:
* English language
* English people
English may also refer to:
Peoples, culture, and language
* ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England
** English national ide ...
.
Of the 17,302 households, 33.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 54.4% were married couples living together, 10.5% had a female householder with no husband present, 29.4% were non-families, and 24.5% of all households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.53 and the average family size was 2.98. The median age was 39.9 years.[
The median income for a household in the county was $47,697 and the median income for a family was $60,824. Males had a median income of $46,325 versus $32,416 for females. The per capita income for the county was $26,398. About 7.4% of families and 10.0% of the population were below the ]poverty line
The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for t ...
, including 13.7% of those under age 18 and 10.5% of those age 65 or over.
Government
The county government is a constitutional body, and is granted specific powers by the Constitution of Indiana
The Constitution of Indiana is the highest body of state law in the U.S. state of Indiana. It establishes the structure and function of the state and is based on the principles of federalism and Jacksonian democracy. Indiana's constitution is su ...
, and by the Indiana Code
The Indiana Code is the code of laws for the U.S. state of Indiana. The contents are the codification of all the laws currently in effect within Indiana. With roots going all the way back to the Northwest Ordinance of 1787, the laws of Indiana h ...
.
County Council: The legislative branch of the county government; controls spending and revenue collection in the county. Representatives are elected to four-year terms from county districts. They set salaries, the annual budget, and special spending. The council has limited authority to impose local taxes, in the form of an income and property tax that is subject to state level approval, excise taxes, and service taxes.
Board of Commissioners: The executive body of the county; commissioners are elected county-wide to staggered four-year terms. One commissioner serves as president. The commissioners execute the acts legislated by the council, collect revenue, and manage the county government.[
Court: Three State Trial Courts sit in the Courthouse located at 407 S. Harrison Street, Shelbyville, Indiana 46176. Shelby Circuit Court was established by the Indiana Constitution. Shelby Superior Courts 1 and 2 were created by Acts of the Legislature. Shelby Superior Court 2 handles the ]small claims
Small-claims courts have limited jurisdiction to hear civil cases between private litigants. Courts authorized to try small claims may also have other judicial functions, and go by different names in different jurisdictions. For example, it may b ...
. Cases are allocated between the Courts b
Local Court Rules
The judges of the Shelby Cirucit and Superior Courts are elected to six (6) year terms and must be admitted to practice law in the State of Indiana. Appeals from Shelby County Trial Courts are made to the Indiana Court of Appeals.
County Officials: The county has other elected offices, including sheriff
A sheriff is a government official, with varying duties, existing in some countries with historical ties to England where the office originated. There is an analogous, although independently developed, office in Iceland that is commonly transla ...
, coroner
A coroner is a government or judicial official who is empowered to conduct or order an inquest into Manner of death, the manner or cause of death, and to investigate or confirm the identity of an unknown person who has been found dead within th ...
, auditor
An auditor is a person or a firm appointed by a company to execute an audit.Practical Auditing, Kul Narsingh Shrestha, 2012, Nabin Prakashan, Nepal To act as an auditor, a person should be certified by the regulatory authority of accounting and au ...
, treasurer
A treasurer is the person responsible for running the treasury of an organization. The significant core functions of a corporate treasurer include cash and liquidity management, risk management, and corporate finance.
Government
The treasury o ...
, recorder
Recorder or The Recorder may refer to:
Newspapers
* ''Indianapolis Recorder'', a weekly newspaper
* ''The Recorder'' (Massachusetts newspaper), a daily newspaper published in Greenfield, Massachusetts, US
* ''The Recorder'' (Port Pirie), a news ...
, surveyor
Surveying or land surveying is the technique, profession, art, and science of determining the terrestrial two-dimensional or three-dimensional positions of points and the distances and angles between them. A land surveying professional is ca ...
, and circuit court clerk
A court clerk (British English: clerk to the court or clerk of the court ; American English: clerk of the court or clerk of court ) is an officer of the court whose responsibilities include maintaining records of a court, administer oaths to witn ...
. These officials are elected to four-year terms. Members elected to county government positions are required to declare party
A party is a gathering of people who have been invited by a host for the purposes of socializing, conversation, recreation, or as part of a festival or other commemoration or celebration of a special occasion. A party will often feature f ...
affiliations and to be residents of the county.[
]
Political culture
Demographics
Notable people
* Isaac Colton Ash, Los Angeles, California, City Council member, 1925–27
* George W. Clarke, governor of Iowa, 1913–1917
* Edith Jones Woodward, astronomer, born in Waldron in 1914
* Kid Quill, hip hop/rap
See also
*
References
*
{{authority control
Indiana counties
1821 establishments in Indiana
Populated places established in 1821
Indianapolis metropolitan area