Shelby

Formed January 8, 1836 (15^th county)

Shelby County (24,022), Center (5,219)

The unique Romanesque Revival courthouse was built in 1885 in the city center at Tenaha and San Augustine.  Tenaha is Texas State Highway 87 coming through the city.  John Joseph Emmett Gibson designed this red brick courthouse.  The old courthouse was replaced in 1992 with a remodeled Modern commercial building.  The architect and the year built for this building is unknown.  Shelbyville served as the county seat until 1866 when Center was the location for the last two courthouses.  The county was organized on January 8, 1836 as one of the original 23 in Texas (15^th county.)  Shelby County was named for American Revolutionary hero Isaac Shelby.  The county seat is a geographic name for the location of the city within the county. 

Shelby County government consists of a sheriff, a County Judge, and 4 Commissioners.  One District Court Judge serves Shelby and Panola counties, One District Court Judge serves Shelby, Sabine, and San Augustine counties, and One County Court Judge serves Shelby County.  The county is located in far-east Texas with Louisiana on its eastern border.  The Attoyac Bayou is the western border and the Sabine River is the eastern border of the county.  The county center is 3.4 miles Northeast of Center.  The county is surrounded clockwise by Panola County and Louisiana and Sabine, San Augustine, Nacogdoches, and Rusk counties. 

The area of the county is 794 square miles.  It is 199 out of 254 in the state.  It ranks 103 out of 254 in population in the state.  It has a density of 30.3 persons per square mile making it 106 out of 254 in the state.  Shelby County has 34.5% of its population in its incorporated areas.  United States Highway 59 crosses the northwest corner from Panola County, north, to Rusk County, west.  United States Highway 84 comes in from Louisiana on the east and goes out to Rusk County on the west.  United States Highway 96 originates in the county and heads south into San Augustine County.  The county is a tilted rectangle leaning to the west.  Center is in the center in the county.  Center is the county seat and the largest city.  It is 21.7% of the county population.  The county is pronounced SHEL-BEE.