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Shelby County was created by an act of the Alabama Territorial General Assembly on February 7, 1818, from former Creek Indian territory ceded in the Treaty of Fort Jackson on August 9, 1814. It is located in the north-central part of the state and is bounded on the north by Jefferson and St. Clair counties, on the south by Chilton and Bibb counties, on the east by Talladega county and on the west by Bibb and Jefferson counties. About one-half of the county is in the mineral belt. Shelby County encompasses 800 square miles.
The county is named for Isaac Shelby, first governor of Kentucky. The location of the first county seat was Shelbyville. In 1826 the town of Columbia changed its name to Columbiana and became the permanent county seat. Other towns and communities include: Alabaster, Calera, Pelham, and Montevallo, home of the University of Montevallo.
Shelby County online.
Authorities:
Owen, Thomas McAdory. History of Alabama and Dictionary of Alabama Biography. Chicago: S. J. Clarke Publishing Co., 1921. Links:
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