![]() Shelby Lions Club, 1986 |
![]() Shelby bridge, 1986 |
![]() postcard |
![]() Dickey's sanitarium |
![]() waiting for the train, ca. 1906-1913 |
![]() Shelby Service Station |
Invocation was given by Joe Brown. Presiding in the absence of the President and vice-president, Mrs. Cordie Kenney welcomed the group with an explanation of the goals and activities of the organization. Mrs. Joe Brown told of the rare books in the historical library which is housed in the Crown Point Library Basement. "America, The Beautiful" was sung by the audience. Ruthann Nichols and Pam Anthony sang a duet, "The Lord is My Shepherd". Miss Sandra Eddenfield, the school music teacher, was pianist for both numbers. An accordion solo was rendered by Miss Karol Hall.
The history of Shelby was ably prepared and presented by the Misses Ruth and Mary Holton and Mrs. Neal Sirois, with assistance from the various townspeople.
The territory north of the Kankakee River was a swampy region, dotted with wooded hills and heavily covered with fine, natural grasses, which later proved to play an active part in the economy and development of the future town of Shelby. LaSalle discovered the river in 1679, while searching for an outlet of the Mississippi River. There was a large encampment of the Pottowatomie Indians in this region, but they were practically gone by 1839.
Settlers began to trickle in, probably in the early 1870's. Herds of cattle began to fill the grasslands. A steamboat -- The Morning Star -- was traveling the river in 1875 -- hauling salt in to the cattle, and carrying stove wood and fence posts on its return trip. The Monon Railroad, running north and south, was begun in 1881 and completed in 1882, through this area. The east-west railroad -- the Three I (or Indiana, Illinois, and Iowa) came in 1883. The intersection of the railroads was a logical location for a town. So began the Village of Shelby. Later -- about 1886 -- it was laid out in streets by W.R. Shelby, president of the Lake Agricultural Society, and was named for him.
Trapping, hunting, and fishing, of course, were important factors in the growth of business in the young town, but there were natural resources that played an equally prominent role -- such lowly things as cat tails, frogs, turtles, and mushrooms. The last three were taste luxuries in demand in the Chicago hotels. The cat tails furnished a silky-down used in stuffing upholstered furniture and pillows. Marshall Fields sent crews each fall to harvest them.
The cutting, pressing, and storage of wild hay became big business as the hay was shipped on the Monon to the Chicago Stock yards. John Caster, one of the main hay operators, had a large Hay Barn west of Shelby.
Hotel business was one of the "Bigs" and soon after the advent of the railroads, an elaborate, 3-story hotel was built near the depot, the Doty house was across the street, and Dick Fuller built the Fuller house south of the three-I tracks. Besides the hunters and workers, many people (as high as 75 per day) -- transferring from one railroad to the other, sought lodgings in these hotels. Later, the 3 story building was operated by James Dickey as a sanitarium for the cure of alcoholics.
Among other families in business in those days were: The Ahlgrims -- wood and ice cut from the river -- and later developing Ahlgrim's Park which is still in the family; Emil Sirois, blacksmith, mechanic, later a hardware store; Brown's -- ranching; John Fuller -- work horse stables, and saw mills; Eichs and others, dairying. There was also a drug store.
When drainage of this area was accomplished by the dredging of the Singleton, Greisel, and Brown Ditches, the life of Shelby was changed. It now became a town serving the rural population of a vast farming territory.
The first school house -- one room -- was south of the 3-I (now NYC) tracks. Later a three room, wooden school was built on the site of the present school. These rooms were sold individually. One sits across the road and houses the Odd Fellow lodge, the other 2 rooms were bought by Neal Sirois and made in what was known as Dickeys Store. The brick building now in use was built in 1910. For a number of years there was a 2-year high school, which was disbanded when the new high school in Lowell was opened in the fall of 1916.
In 1899 the Shelby Church of Christ was organized by Mr. and Mrs. Wm. Ray. Services were held in the old school house. In 1911 Claude Rumsey and James Pinkerton started a movement to build a church, which was completed in 1913. Rev. E.L. Worley, of Lowell, was minister there from 1933 until his retirement. Don Wilson, also of Lowell, is the present pastor.
There was a Methodist Church in Shelby for a few years but was dissolved in the 1920's. The Saint Theresa Catholic Church was organized in 1939 but the building was not completed until 1941.
Today, Shelby is a busy town of 400 population, still unincorporated, having a lumber yard, a bowling alley, 2 stores, a hardware, post office, eating places, and garages among the local business establishments.
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