Shelby is an

unincorporated community An unincorporated area is a region that is not governed by a local municipal corporation. Widespread unincorporated communities and areas are a distinguishing feature of the United States and Canada. Most other countries of the world either have ...

Austin County, Texas Austin County is a rural, agricultural dominated county in the U.S. state of Texas. As of the 2020 census, the population was 30,167. Its seat is Bellville. The county and region was settled primarily by German emigrants in the 1800s. Austin ...

, United States. According to the Handbook of Texas, the community had a population of 175 in 2000. It is located within the

Greater Houston Greater Houston, designated by the United States Office of Management and Budget as Houston–The Woodlands–Sugar Land, is the fifth-most populous metropolitan statistical area in the United States, encompassing nine counties along the Gulf Co ...

metropolitan area.

Geography

Shelby is located at the FM 389 and FM 1457 crossroads in far northwest Austin County. The community is northwest of

Industry Industry may refer to: Economics * Industry (economics), a generally categorized branch of economic activity * Industry (manufacturing), a specific branch of economic activity, typically in factories with machinery * The wider industrial sector ...

via State Highway 159 and FM 1457. Round Top is northwest on FM 1457. Brenham is to the northeast on FM 389. Harmonie Hall and the Shelby Volunteer Fire Department are located a short distance to the southwest on FM 389, while the town cemetery can be found a few hundred yards to the south at FM 1457 and Voelkel Road. It is also located northwest of Bellville.

History

Otto von Roeder was the first settler in Shelby in 1841. The community was named for David Shelby, one of The Old Three Hundred under

Stephen F. Austin Stephen Fuller Austin (November 3, 1793 – December 27, 1836) was an American-born empresario. Known as the "Father of Texas" and the founder of Anglo Texas,Hatch (1999), p. 43. he led the second and, ultimately, the successful colonization ...

. Shelby would become the home of many

Adelsverein The ''Mainzer Adelsverein at Biebrich am Rhein'' (''Verein zum Schutze Deutscher Einwanderer in Texas'', "Society for the Protection of German Immigrants in Texas"), better known as the ''Mainzer Adelsverein'' (, "Nobility Society of Mainz"), orga ...

colonists in 1845, but it was founded a year before that organization was formed in Germany, and three years before the Adelsverein sent its first colonists to Texas. Von Roeder had emigrated to Texas from

Westphalia Westphalia (; german: Westfalen ; nds, Westfalen ) is a region of northwestern Germany and one of the three historic parts of the state of North Rhine-Westphalia. It has an area of and 7.9 million inhabitants. The territory of the regio ...

in the 1830s and was not affiliated with the Adelsverein's colonization efforts and established a

grain mill A gristmill (also: grist mill, corn mill, flour mill, feed mill or feedmill) grinds cereal grain into flour and middlings. The term can refer to either the grinding mechanism or the building that holds it. Grist is grain that has been separated ...

in 1841. Because many of the German settlers spoke Latin, it is believed to be part of the Latin Settlement communities populated in Texas at that time. The community became known as Rödersmühl or Röders Mill. August Vogelsang then bought the mill in 1845 and several German families surnamed Vanderwerth, Rothermel, and Ohlendorf immigrated to the area. A post office was established at Shelby in 1846 and remained in operation until 1912. A singing society was founded in the community in 1852. It expanded in 1867 that attracted other German singing groups throughout the state and was named in honor of

Prussia Prussia, , Old Prussian: ''Prūsa'' or ''Prūsija'' was a German state on the southeast coast of the Baltic Sea. It formed the German Empire under Prussian rule when it united the German states in 1871. It was ''de facto'' dissolved by an ...

n soldiers who died during the

Seven Weeks War The Austro-Prussian War, also by many variant names such as Seven Weeks' War, German Civil War, Brothers War or Fraternal War, known in Germany as ("German War"), (; "German war of brothers") and by a variety of other names, was fought in 186 ...

. It had 75 residents in 1884, and its businesses included three

saloons Saloon may refer to: Buildings and businesses * One of the bars in a traditional British pub * An alternative name for a bar (establishment) * Western saloon, a historical style of American bar * The Saloon, a bar and music venue in San Francisc ...

, three general stores, two cotton gins, a

blacksmith A blacksmith is a metalsmith who creates objects primarily from wrought iron or steel, but sometimes from other metals, by forging the metal, using tools to hammer, bend, and cut (cf. tinsmith). Blacksmiths produce objects such as gates, gr ...

and a saddlemaker. A Lutheran church was then built in the community in the 1880s, followed by a hotel in 1896. Its population grew to 248 in 1904. It dropped to 200 and remained at that level throughout

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...

. This caused further population loss in the community and the closure of several businesses. Its population was reported as 175 in 1992 through 2000. An agricultural society and a band were founded in the community. A tombstone of Vogelsang and his family is in the community cemetery.

Education

The community's first school was established in 1854. It had two schools by 1884. Most of its first settlers were from well-educated, middle-class families promoting the arts and sciences. Today, the community is served by the

Bellville Independent School District Bellville Independent School District is a public school district based in Bellville, Texas ( USA). In addition to Bellville, the district also serves the city of Industry as well as rural areas in northern Austin County. Finances As of the 2 ...

References

{{authority control Unincorporated communities in Texas Unincorporated communities in Austin County, Texas Greater Houston Latin Settlement Populated places established in 1841 1841 establishments in the Republic of Texas