About
Early History & Founding
Before European settlement, Shelby County's natural landscape of prairies, woodlands, and waterways was home to a diverse array of wildlife, including buffalo, elk, deer, black bears, wolves, turkeys, and quail. The area of Shelby County is believed to have been the hunting grounds of multiple Native American tribes, including the Pottawatomi and Omaha.
Native American Records in Shelby County
European settlement of Shelby County began in the 1800s with the first recorded settlement in what is now Grove Township by Abraham Galland in 1848. Additional settlers continued to arrive, and by 1851, the General Assembly of Iowa fixed the boundaries of Shelby County. The new county was named after General Isaac Shelby, who was famous for serving in the Revolutionary War, the War of 1812, and becoming the first governor of the State of Kentucky. The county seat was originally set in Shelbyville, but was changed to Harlan in 1859.
After its founding, the county was divided into two civil townships (Galland's Grove and Round), but those expanded through the 1860s and 1870s to include most of the townships we know today.
For an in-depth history of Shelby County, read the History of Shelby County on the IAGenWeb project website.
County Courthouse
Shortly after the county seat moved to Harlan, a simple two-story building was constructed to act as the courthouse. A second courthouse replaced it (costing only $4,250 to build) in 1875, but after deteriorating, the current courthouse was built from 1892 through 1893. Designed by Charles E. Bell, the courthouse is in the Richardsonian Romanesque style.
Today, the courthouse is the center of Shelby County's Historic Courthouse Square District and is listed in the National Register of Historic Places.
