Situated in the western Lower Peninsula of Michigan, the Village of Shelby is surrounded by Shelby Township in Oceana County.
Shelby Road (1st Street, Ferry Street) and Oceana Drive (State Street) intersect downtown, with Shelby Road connecting to US-31 west of the village. The Manistee National Forest, Silver Lake State Park, and Lake Michigan are nearby, and Piper Creek flows through the northwestern part of the village.
Cities and villages within twenty miles of the village include New Era, Hart, Rothbury, Montague, Whitehall, Pentwater, Hesperia, Walkerville, and Lakewood Club, while Preston Corners and Mears are unincorporated communities within ten miles of Shelby.
Shelby is a village of just under two thousand people, largely residential, and surrounded by agricultural land.
Founded in the 1860s, the community was originally known as Churchill's Corners, for Walter H. Churchill, who became the first postmaster on February 28, 1866, although the office was named Shelby.
The community has its roots in the lumber industry, agriculture, and tourism, all tied to its proximity to Lake Michigan. A schoolhouse was built in 1862, and the first sawmill was constructed in 1871.
The Chicago & West Michigan, which later became the Pere Marquette and the Chesapeake and Ohio Railway), came through in 1872. In order to connect to the railroad, S.A. Browne, Orrin Deming, and Alexander Pittenger arranged to plat the townsite. They named it Barnett for a brakeman who had agreed to pay the recording fees, but later reneged. In 1873, an adjacent plat was made and recorded as Shelby, and both plats were incorporated as the Village of Shelby in 1885. It was named for General Isaac Shelby who, in command of the Kentucky Rangers, had helped to recapture Detroit from the British during the War of 1812.
By 1910, the village had churches, hotels, banks, a fire department, and a library. A hospital was opened in 1925. During World War II, a prisoner-of-war camp was located at what is now Getty Park, which had been deeded to the village by George B. and Sarah J. Getty in 1908.
Today, Shelby is the largest village in Oceana County, with a population similar to the City of Hart. Both the village and township halls are located within the village, along with a library, post office, and hospital. Shelby High School, Shelby Middle School, and Thomas Reed Elementary School are situated on the fringe of the downtown area.
Police services are provided by the Shelby Police Department, which consists of a police chief and four officers. Fire services are provided by the Shelby-Benona Fire Department, which has a station within the village.
The Shelby Public Works Department handles the village's water and sewer systems, snow plowing, and park maintenance tasks.
Shelby's parks include Veteran's Memorial Park, Nichol's Horseshoe Park, Wesco Park, Getty Park, Mead Park, DPW Park, Triangle Community Park and Town Square, Walnut Park, and the William Field Memorial Hart-Montague Trail State Park, which was founded by William Field, a Shelby native. The trail runs the length of the village for about two miles, passing through the business district.
In this portion of our web guide, we are focusing on the Village of Shelby, Michigan. Online resources for the village, township, or any other governmental bodies within the village, as well as local businesses, industries, schools, places of worship, organizations, attractions, events, entertainment venues, or recreational opportunities, are appropriate for this category.
Recommended Resources
Based in Shelby, Michigan, Love INC is a partnership of local churches to collaborate with community agencies, ministries, governments, and schools to provide help for the disadvantaged, including providing food, clothing, furniture, appliances, and household and personal care items. Its organizational structure, schedules of classes, and an overview of its ministries, inventory, and services. Volunteer opportunities and information about financial contributions are included.
http://www.loveincoceana.com/
After decades of local management and ownership of three Ace hardware stores, in Shelby, Rothbury, and Whitehall, OBS now operates all of its store brands as Rivers Ace Hardware, offering lumber and building supplies, as well as a rental center with more than four hundred pieces of construction or landscaping equipment. Details are available in its rental catalog. Its departments, services, offers, and gallery of photographs are featured, and an online contact form is available.
https://oceanabuilders.com/
Set up to promote conservation, stewardship, and sustainable use of the natural resources of Oceana County, the non-profit organization is based in Shelby, Michigan, where it offers several programs and services, including forestry assistance, MAEAP verification, invasive species management, habitat restoration, and others. Informational videos, program registration, and information about local nature preserves are set forth, and an online store sells books, shrubs, dune grass, and other items.
https://www.oceanaconservation.org/
Shelby Congregational United Church of Christ
The UCC congregation meets at its facilities on East Third Street in Shelby, Michigan. Worship service schedules, a calendar of events, and an overview of its youth programs, music ministries, and other programs and activities of the church are set forth. Introductions to the church's staff, boards, and ministries are featured, and its local and global ministries and missions are listed, along with announcements. Links to denominational and local resources are included.
http://shelbycongregationalucc.org/
The public school district offers a PK-12th-grade curriculum through Shelby Early Childhood Center, Thomas Read Elementary School, New Era Elementary School, Shelby Middle School, and Shelby High School, each of which are highlighted, with their locations, schedules, faculty and staff contacts, announcements, and extracurricular activities. The central business office and departments are identified, with contacts, and employment opportunities are posted on the site.
https://www.shelbypublicschools.net/
Established in 1855, Shelby Township is in Oceana County, on the west coast of Michigan's Lower Peninsula. The official township website introduces the township board, planning commission, assessor, and park committee, and posts meeting notices, agendas, minutes, budget and tax data, ordinances, and forms. Also included is a guide to local cemeteries, churches, and parks, a township newsletter, and public notices. Office hours, phone and fax numbers, and an email address are included.
https://www.shelbytownshipoceana.com/
The official municipal website posts public notices, a new resident's guide, and a photo gallery. The village council, meeting agendas, and minutes are posted, along with the village's planning commissions, ordinances, and zoning reports. Village parks, projects, and community information is set forth, and a guide to commercial development, commercial listings, and employment opportunities are included. The municipal staff is introduced, and office hours and contacts are posted.
https://shelbyvillage.com/
