Shelby County, Iowa
Historic newspapers, landmarks, and county history layers for genealogists and local historians.
At a glance
SummaryThe National Register of Historic Places includes 13 listed properties in the county, first listed in 1978. Most listings are in or near Harlan, Shelby, Elk Horn.
Summary generated automatically from the source data on this page.
Newspapers
Library of CongressNewspaper directory data for Iowa is not yet loaded on this site. Browse Shelby titles at the Library of Congress.
National Register of Historic Places
NPS NRHP8 of 13 listings mapped; some locations are restricted by NPS to protect sensitive sites.
13 listed properties
| Property | City | Listed |
|---|---|---|
| Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Railroad Stone Arch Viaduct | Shelby | 1998 |
| Christiansen, Jens Otto, House | Elk Horn | 1997 |
| Floral Hall | Harlan | 1985 |
| Harlan Courthouse Square Commercial District | Harlan | 1994 |
| Irwin Consolidated School | Irwin | 2002 |
| Larsen, Chris, House | Elk Horn | 1991 |
| Pleasant View Stock Farm Historic District | Irwin | 2019 |
| Poldberg, Chris, Farmstead | Jacksonville | 1991 |
| Rewerts, George, House | Defiance | 1991 |
| Saint Boniface Catholic Church District | Westphalia | 1991 |
| Shelby Consolidated School | Shelby | 2014 |
| Shelby County Courthouse | Harlan | 1978 |
| St. Paul's Episcopal Church | Harlan | 1978 |
Source: National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places. Property links open NRHP nomination files at the National Archives.
County formation
Newberry AHCBShelby was formed in 1851 (1851-01-15) from Pottawattamie.
SHELBY created from POTTAWATTAMIE and Non-County Area 11 attached to DALLAS.
Source: Newberry Library, Atlas of Historical County Boundaries.
Population by decade
CensusShelby County population from 1860 to 2020 (Census historical series).
| 1860 | 1880 | 1900 | 1920 | 1940 | 1950 | 1960 | 1980 | 2000 | 2020 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 818 | 12,696 | 17,932 | 16,065 | 16,720 | 15,942 | 15,825 | 15,043 | 13,173 | 11,746 |
Sources: U.S. Census Bureau historical county population (Forstall 1790–1990) and public-domain / CC0 county population series through 2020.
Cemeteries & historical places
USGS GNIS36 cemeteries and 0 historical populated places (ghost towns / former settlements) recorded in USGS GNIS for this county.
Cemeteries — 36 of 36 listed
| Name |
|---|
| Astor Cemetery |
| Bethlehem Lutheran Cemetery |
| Bowmans Grove Cemetery |
| Carlsen - Larsen Cemetery |
| Cass Township Cemetery |
| Clay Township Cemetery |
| Cuppys Grove Cemetery |
| Danway Cemetery |
| Doyle Cemetery |
| Elk Horn Cemetery |
| Fairview Township Cemetery |
| Folck Cemetery |
| Gallands Grove Cemetery |
| Gallands Grove RLDS Holcomb Cemetery |
| Grove Township Cemetery |
| Harlan Cemetery |
| Jacobson Cemetery |
| Lee Cemetery |
| Lincoln Township Cemetery |
| Merrills Grove Cemetery |
| Monroe Cemetery |
| Oak Hill Cemetery |
| Olson Cemetery |
| Poplar Cemetery |
| Rabbit Hallow Cemetery |
| Red Line Cemetery |
| Rose Hill Cemetery |
| Saint Boniface Cemetery |
| Saint Joseph Cemetery |
| Saint Mary's Cemetery |
| Saint Marys Cemetery |
| Saints Peter and Paul Catholic Cemetery |
| Shelby Cemetery |
| Slates Cemetery |
| Union Township Cemetery |
| Washington Township Cemetery |
Source: USGS Geographic Names Information System (public domain). Cemeteries from the 2021 NationalFile archive; historical places from GNIS HistoricalFeatures topical extract.
Historical markers
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Search HMdb for Shelby County, Iowa
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