The county of Shelby was
constituted in the year 1818. It received its name from Governor Isaac
Shelby, of Kentucky. It is highly favored in location, climate, and
mineral wealth. It is justly ranked one of the best counties of the
State. Of late, rapid strides have been made in Shelby county in the
development of her mineral wealth. Large interests of many kinds have
been established and are in a thrifty condition. It has an area of 780
square miles.
Population in 1870,
12,218; population in 1880, 17,236. White, 12,253; colored,
4,983.
Tilled Land: 58,550
acres.—Area planted in cotton, 17,919 acres; in corn, 26,159 acres ; in
oats, 4,764 acres; in wheat, 6,294 acres ; in tobacco, 10 acres ; in
sweet potatoes, 346 acres.
Cotton Production : 6,643
bales.
The general surface of
Shelby county is hilly and rough—features inseparable from a mineral
district. Still, there are many valuable lands, for agricultural
purposes, to be found. The northwestern portion of the county is formed
by the coal measures of the famous Cahaba coalfield ; the central part
by those of the Coosa coalfield Lying between these two natural
divisions is the valley of the Coosa. Along these coal measures is to be
found the usual rugged surface, and the soil is of a sandy character and
not very fertile. The Coosa valley, which extends the distance of thirty
miles through the county, is based upon mountain limestone. It varies in
width from two to eight miles. The lower valley lands, formed of lime,
clay, and vegetabic matter, are quite fertile ; the higher
lands, of gravel and clay, are of inferior character. The lands in the
valleys are esteemed altogether as good as those found in the famous
Valley of the Tennessee. Corn and cotton grow luxuriantly here, and
their yield, under favoring circumstances, is immense. In addition to
these, Shelby produces oats, wheat, rye, barley, and indeed all crops
grown in this latitude. Some portions of the county are peculiarly
adapted to stock-raising. This is especially true of the region lying
west of the valley already described.
On the western boundary
of the county is the Cahaba Valley, the width of which varies as does
that of the Coosa upon the east. The characteristics of soil are the
same as in the valley first mentioned—fertile in the bottoms and thin
and gravelly upon the highlands.
The conditions in many
portions of Shelby are quite favorable to the production of fruit, and
orchard culture is receiving, by degrees, more attention.
The prevailing timbers
are oak, hickory, chestnut, mulberry, and pine. Along the numerous
valleys that intersect each other throughout the county is to be found
the short-leaf pine ; while the knolls and uplands are crowned with the
long-leaf pine. During the greater part of the year water prevails in
vast abundance in every section of the county.
The Coosa river forms the
eastern boundary and receives the drainage of that portion of Shelby.
Big and Little Cahaba rivers drain the western part.
Springs abound throughout
the county. Issuing from beneath the pine-crowned ridges, that lie
between the minor intersecting valleys, or else bursting from thousands
of craggy mouths from the rocky hillsides, these springs flow down
through the valleys in perennial streams supplying water in richest
abundance to man and beast.
But the peculiar glory of
Shelby is her broad domains of coal and iron, her vast treasures of
stone, and her health-giving mineral waters. Extensive manufactories of
iron exist at the Shelby Iron Works, which have been in successful
operation for thirty years, and at Helena, where are located the Central
Iron Works. In addition to these interests are found the Helena coal
mines, and the Montevallo coal mines. Furthermore, there are
considerable lime-works at Calera, Siluria, and Longview, in the county.
Some of these furnish lime as far south as Galveston, and as far
north as Louisville and Cairo.
In some of the limestone
formations are to be found as superb building stone as exists in any
quarter of the globe. Among these may be mentioned a light grayish-blue
rock, dotted over with dark spots, black marble, yellow marble with
black spots, gray and dove-colored marbles. These are quite durable, and
serve admirably as ornamental building material. In the mountains,
between the upper portion of Shelby and the St. Clair portion of the
Cahaba valley, there is, in wonderful abundance, a beautiful sandstone
that would serve for building purposes. Barytes and slate also
exist.
Just above Calera, on the
East Tennessee, Virginia and Georgia railroad, are the Shelby Springs, a
favorite watering resort. The location is high and healthful,
and the waters have valuable medicinal properties.
The advantages of
transportation in the county are excellent. At Calera there is an
intersection of the Louisville and Nashville railroad, and the East
Tennessee, Virginia and Georgia railroad. The former of these lines runs
north and south through the county, and the other almost east and west.
All the benefits accruing from competing lines are here
afforded.
The points of greatest
interest in the county are Columbiana, the county-seat, with a
population of about 500, Calera, which is located at the intersection of
the two railroads already mentioned, Wilsonville, Harpersville, Helena,
and Montevallo. Excellent church and educational facilities exist at all
these points. A common school system under favorable direction exists
throughout the county.
The chief center of
interest in the county is the growing town of Calera. Its name is of
Spanish origin, and indicates the character of the surrounding region,
Calera being the Spanish word for lime. It has a population possibly of
1,000, and for a number of years has been the location of a large
foundry. Other important enterprises are being established, such as a
charcoal iron furnace and a spoke and handle factory. Other
manufacturing enterprises are talked of. The town supports good schools
and churches, and has one of the best hotels in the State. It is located
in the midst of coal, iron, lime, and excellent timber, and enjoys
railroad facilities in all directions, being at
the intersection of the Louisville and Nashville, and East Tennessee,
Virginia and Georgia railroads.
Throughout the county of
Shelby there abound the facilities of human comfort, so great are the
advantages of climate and the diversity of soils and mineral
products.
Lands may be purchased at
prices ranging from $2.50 to $25 per acre.
There exists 37,929 acres
of government land in the
county.
