Shelby County AlArchives History .....Shelby County 1888
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Joy Fisher http://www.genrecords.net/emailregistry/vols/00001.html#0000031 September 12, 2011, 10:48 pm

XIX.
SHELBY COUNTY.

    Population: White, 12,800; colored, 4,500. Area, 780 square miles. Woodland,
all. Valley lands and coal fields, 780 square miles.

    Acres—In cotton (approximately), 17,900; in corn, 26,170; in oats. 4,765; in
wheat, 6,295: in tobacco, 10; in sweet potatoes, 350.

    Approximate number of bales of cotton. 6,750.

    County Seat—Columbiana; population, 600; located 72 miles northeast of
Selma, Ala., on East Tennessee, Virginia & Georgia Railroad.

    Newspaper published at County Seat—Shelby Chronicle (Democrat). At Calera
Shelby Sentinel, Democrat, and Alliance-News.

    Postoffices in the County—Aldrich, Bridgeton, Calera, Cobb, Columbiana,
Harpersville, Helena, Highland, Hot Spur, Knight, Lewis, Longview, Montevallo,
Pelham, Shelby Iron Works, Siluria, Spradley, Sterrett, Weldon, Wilsonville.

    The county of Shelby was constituted in the year 1819. It received its name
from Governor Isaac Shelby, of Kentucky. It is highly favored in location,
wealth 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 thriving condition.

    The general surface of the 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 coal field; the central portion by those of
the Coosa coal field. 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 vegetable matter, are' quite fertile: the
higher lands, of gravel and clay, are of inferior character. The lands in the
valleys are deemed altogether as good as those found in the famous Valley of the
Tennessee. Corn and cotton grow luxuriantly here, and the yield, under favorable
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
valley 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 on the east. The characteristics of the
soil are the same as in the valley first mentioned— fertile in the bottoms, and
thin and gravelly upon the high lands.

    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 hickory, oak, 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 the uplands are crowned with the
long-leaf pine. During the greater part of the year water prevails in great
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 Cababa rivers drain the western part.

    Springs abound throughout the county. Issuing from beneath pine-crowned
ridges that lie between the minor intersecting valleys, or else bursting from
thousands of craggy mouths from the rocky hillsides, these springs How 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 domain of coal and iron, her
vast treasures of stone, marble and timber, and her health-giving mineral waters.

    Extensive manufactories of iron exist at the Shelby Iron Works, which have
been in sucsessful 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. Sawmills are also numerous.

    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 alight
grayish-blue rock, dotted over with dark spots, black marble, yellow marble with
black spots, gray and dove-colored marbles. These are very durable, and serve
admirably as ornamental building material. In the mountains between the upper
portion of Shelby and the St. Clair portion of the Cababa valley, there is, in
wonderful abundance, a beautiful sandstone that would serve for building
purposes. Barytas and slate also exist.

    Just above Calera, on the East Tennessee, Virginia & Georgia Railroad are
the Shelby Springs, a favorite watering resort. The location is high and
healthful, and the waters have valuable medicinal properties. At Helena and also
near Bridegton there are valuable mineral springs.

    The advantages of transportation are excellent in this county. At Calera.
there is an intersection of the Louisville & Nashville and the East Tennessee,
Virginia & Georgia Railroads. The former of these lines runs north and south
through the county, and the other almost east and west. All the benefits
accruing from the competing lines are here afforded.

    The points of greatest interest 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 advantages exist at all of these places. 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 name for lime. It has a population of possibly
-2,000, and for a number of years has been the location of a large foundry.

    Other important enterprises have already been established. The Charcoal and
Furnace Company have a magnificent plant and one of the finest wells in the
State. The two shoe factories are turning out daily a very superior quality of
shoes that compare very favorably with the best of eastern factories, and are
sold at prices that defy competition, and they are consequently crowded with
orders. The Spoke and Handle Factory is a paying institution, and their products
are shipped to every portion of the Union, as they are finely finished and made
of the most perfect timber. Two large steam brickworks are in operation, and
have orders ahead for several weeks. Another spoke and handle factory will soon
be established. The waterworks are now nearly completed, and negotiations are
now pending for the erection of a fine academy.

    The town supports good schools, and has two 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 the intersection of the Louisville
& Nashville and East Tennessee, Virginia & Georgia Railroads.

    Throughout the county of Shelby there abound the facilities of human
comfort, so great are 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 exist 37,929 acres of Government land in the county, which is being
rapidly entered as homesteads by actual settlers.


Additional Comments:
Extracted from:

Northern Alabama: Historical and Biographical
Birmingham, Ala.: Smith and De Land
1888

PART III.
HISTORICAL RESUME OF THE VARIOUS COUNTIES IN THE STATE.
MINERAL BELT.


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