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 ...

located in the far eastern portion of 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 ...

Texas Texas (, ; Spanish language, Spanish: ''Texas'', ''Tejas'') is a state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. At 268,596 square miles (695,662 km2), and with more than 29.1 million residents in 2 ...

. As of the 2020 census, its population was 24,022. Its

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 ...

Center Center or centre may refer to: Mathematics *Center (geometry), the middle of an object * Center (algebra), used in various contexts ** Center (group theory) ** Center (ring theory) * Graph center, the set of all vertices of minimum eccentrici ...

. The county was created in 1835 as a municipality of Mexico and organized as a county in 1837. It is named for

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 ...

, a

soldier A soldier is a person who is a member of an army. A soldier can be a conscripted or volunteer enlisted person, a non-commissioned officer, or an officer. Etymology The word ''soldier'' derives from the Middle English word , from Old French ...

in the

American Revolution The American Revolution was an ideological and political revolution that occurred in British America between 1765 and 1791. The Americans in the Thirteen Colonies formed independent states that defeated the British in the American Revolut ...

who 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 ...

History

Shelby County was formed in 1837. It was named for

, a soldier from

Tennessee Tennessee ( , ), officially the State of Tennessee, is a landlocked state in the Southeastern region of the United States. Tennessee is the 36th-largest by area and the 15th-most populous of the 50 states. It is bordered by Kentucky to th ...

during the

, and 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 ...

Geography

According to the

U.S. Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau (USCB), officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the U.S. Federal Statistical System, responsible for producing data about the American people and economy. The Census Bureau is part of the ...

, the county has a total area of , of which are land and (4.7%) are covered by water.

Adjacent counties and parishes

* Panola County (north) *

De Soto Parish, Louisiana DeSoto Parish (French: ''Paroisse DeSoto'') is a parish located in the U.S. state of Louisiana. The parish was formed in 1843. At the 2010 U.S. census, the population was 26,656; at the 2020 census, its population increased to 26,812. Its pa ...

(northeast) * Sabine Parish, Louisiana (east) * Sabine County (south) *

San Augustine County San Augustine County is a county located in the U.S. state of Texas. As of the 2020 census, its population was 7,918. Its county seat is San Augustine. History San Augustine County was formed in 1837. It was supposedly named after the Saint, A ...

(south) *

Nacogdoches County Nacogdoches County ( ) is a county located in the U.S. state of Texas. As of the 2010 census, its population was 64,653. Its county seat is Nacogdoches. The Nacogdoches, TX Micropolitan Statistical Area includes all of Nacogdoches County. N ...

(southwest) * Rusk County (northwest)

National protected area

Sabine National Forest Sabine National Forest is located in East Texas near the Texas-Louisiana border. The forest is administered together with the other three United States National Forests and two National Grasslands located entirely in Texas, from common offices in ...

(part)

Demographics

''Note: the US Census treats Hispanic/Latino as an ethnic category. This table excludes Latinos from the racial categories and assigns them to a separate category. Hispanics/Latinos can be of any race.'' As of the

census A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording and calculating information about the members of a given population. This term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common censuses incl ...

of 2000, 25,224 people, 9,595 households, and 6,908 families resided in the county. The

population density Population density (in agriculture: standing stock or plant density) is a measurement of population per unit land area. It is mostly applied to humans, but sometimes to other living organisms too. It is a key geographical term.Matt RosenberPopul ...

was 32 people per square mile (12/km²). The 11,955 housing units averaged 15 per square mile (6/km²). The

racial makeup A race is a categorization of humans based on shared physical or social qualities into groups generally viewed as distinct within a given society. The term came into common usage during the 1500s, when it was used to refer to groups of variou ...

of the county was 72.65% White, 19.44% African American, 0.36% Native American, 0.23% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 5.87% from other races, and 1.44% from two or more races. About 9.87% of the population was Hispanic or Latino of any race. Of the 9,595 households, 32.40% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 55.10% were married couples living together, 12.90% had a female householder with no husband present, and 28.00% were notfamilies. About 25.40% of all households were made up of individuals, and 13.60% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.59 and the average family size was 3.08. In the county, the population was distributed as 26.60% under the age of 18, 8.80% from 18 to 24, 25.80% from 25 to 44, 22.20% from 45 to 64, and 16.60% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females, there were 92.40 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 89.20 males. The median income for a household in the county was $29,112, and for a family was $34,021. Males had a median income of $26,501 versus $20,280 for females. The

per capita income Per capita income (PCI) or total income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. It is calculated by dividing the area's total income by its total population. Per capita i ...

for the county was $15,186. About 14.90% of families and 19.40% 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 24.70% of those under age 18 and 16.90% of those age 65 or over.

Education

These school districts serve Shelby County: * Center ISD * Excelsior ISD * Joaquin ISD (small portion in Panola County) * San Augustine ISD (mostly in San Augustine County) * Shelbyville ISD (small portion in Sabine County) * Tenaha ISD (small portion in Panola County) * Timpson ISD

Media

The Light and Champion, a news and information company, marked its 140th year of operation in 2017. It serves Shelby County, as well as Logansport, Louisiana. The Light and Champion produces a weekly print edition, a weekly free-distribution print product called'' The Merchandiser'', operates a web site, www.lightandchampion.com, and a Facebook page. The Light and Champion is owned by Moser Community Media, based in Brenham, Texas.

Transportation

Major highways

U.S. Highway 59 U.S. Route 59 (US 59) is a north–south United States highway (though it was signed east–west in parts of Texas). A latecomer to the U.S. numbered route system, US 59 is now a border-to-border route, part of the NAFTA superhighway, NAFTA ...

Interstate 69 Interstate 69 (I-69) is an Interstate Highway in the United States currently consisting of 10 unconnected segments with an original continuous segment from Indianapolis, Indiana, northeast to the Canadian border in Port Huron, Michigan, at ...

is currently under construction and will follow the current route of U.S. 59 in most places west of Tenaha. ** Interstate 369 is currently under construction and will follow the current route of U.S. 59 in most places north of Tenaha. * U.S. Highway 84 **

is currently under construction and will follow the current route of U.S. 84 in most places east of Tenaha to the Louisiana state line. * U.S. Highway 96 * State Highway 7 * State Highway 87 * State Highway 147 * Farm to Market Road 139 * Farm to Market Road 1970

US 59 U.S. Route 59 (US 59) is a north–south United States highway (though it was signed east–west in parts of Texas). A latecomer to the U.S. numbered route system, US 59 is now a border-to-border route, part of the NAFTA Corridor Highway Sy ...

goes through Shelby County. It is planned to be upgraded to interstate standards as part of the planned

up to Tenaha, where the planned Interstate 369 will follow US 59 northward to both

Interstate 30 Interstate 30 (I-30) is a Interstate Highway in the southern states of Texas and Arkansas in the United States. I-30 travels from I-20 west of Fort Worth, Texas, northeast via Dallas, and Texarkana, Texas, to I-40 in North Little Rock, A ...

and

Interstate 49 Interstate 49 (I-49) is a north–south Interstate Highway that exists in multiple segments: the original portion entirely within the state of Louisiana with an additional signed portion extending from I-220 in Shreveport to the Arkansas st ...

in Texarkana.

US 84 U.S. Route 84 (US 84) is an east–west U.S. Highway that started as a short Georgia–Alabama route in the original 1926 scheme. Later, in 1941, it had been extended all the way to Colorado. The highway's eastern terminus is a short dist ...

is planned to be upgraded to interstate standards as part of the planned

from Tenaha to the Louisiana state line.

Mass transportation

Greyhound Lines operates the Center Station at the Shelby County's Best Yogurt store in Center.

Communities

Cities

(county seat) * Huxley * Joaquin * Timpson

Town

* Tenaha

Unincorporated communities

Arcadia Arcadia may refer to: Places Australia * Arcadia, New South Wales, a suburb of Sydney * Arcadia, Queensland * Arcadia, Victoria Greece * Arcadia (region), a region in the central Peloponnese * Arcadia (regional unit), a modern administrative un ...

* Dreka * Patroon * Possum Trot * Shelbyville

Images

Image:Previous courthouse in Shelby County, TX IMG 0957.JPG, Previous Shelby County

Courthouse A courthouse or court house is a building that is home to a local court of law and often the regional county government as well, although this is not the case in some larger cities. The term is common in North America. In most other English-spe ...

established in 1885 remains the base of the downtown section in Center Image:Shelby County (TX) Museum IMG 0954.JPG, The Shelby County

Museum A museum ( ; plural museums or, rarely, musea) is a building or institution that cares for and displays a collection of artifacts and other objects of artistic, cultural, historical, or scientific importance. Many public museums make these ...

in Center is located in a former residence Image:Shelby County Today on-line newspaper in Center, TX IMG 0959.JPG, ''Shelby County Today'' is an on-line

newspaper A newspaper is a periodical publication containing written information about current events and is often typed in black ink with a white or gray background. Newspapers can cover a wide variety of fields such as politics, business, sports a ...

located across from the Shelby County Courthouse. It began operations in 2005 Image:White Rock Missionary Baptist Church, Center, TX IMG 6246.JPG, Among rural East Texas churches is the White Rock

Missionary Baptist Missionary Baptists are a group of Baptists that grew out of the missionary / anti-missionary controversy that divided Baptists in the United States in the early part of the 19th century, with Missionary Baptists following the pro-missions move ...

Church and Cemetery at 12555

Texas State Highway 7 State Highway 7 (SH 7) is an east–west state highway that runs from Interstate 35 at Eddy to U.S. Highway 84 about west of the Texas-Louisiana state line. Between Crockett and Nacogdoches, SH 7 passes through the Davy Crocke ...

near Center; pastor Keith Rose (2012)

Politics

References

External links

Shelby County Sports

Shelby County Today webpage

Shelby County government's website

Shelby County in ''Handbook of Texas Online''
at the

University of Texas The University of Texas at Austin (UT Austin, UT, or Texas) is a public research university in Austin, Texas. It was founded in 1883 and is the oldest institution in the University of Texas System. With 40,916 undergraduate students, 11,075 ...

''History of the regulators and moderators and the Shelby County war in 1841 and 1842''
hosted by the Portal to Texas History
Shelby County Chamber of Commerce website

Shelby County Genealogy webpage (RootsWeb)

{{authority control 1836 establishments in the Republic of Texas Populated places established in 1836