History
The City of Shelbyville, Tennessee was established
by an act of the Tennessee Legislature in 1809. The
southern half of Bedford County, as it then existed,
was taken away from Bedford to form Lincoln and Moore Counties.
The County seat of Bedford County had been established at or near
the Mulberry Community, south of Lynchburg, hence, the remaining
territory forming Bedford County was without a county seat.
The legislature appointed a total of seven commissioners to
fix a place on Duck River within two miles of the center of
the county on a line east and west and as much nearer the actual
center east and west as a suitable situation can be procured.
The act directed the Commissioners to "purchase one hundred acres of
land at the place which they may fix...and...lay off said hundred acres
of land into a town, to be known by the name of SHELBYVILLE, reserving
near the center thereof a public square of two acres, on which the courthouse
and stocks shall be built, likewise reserving any other lot... for the
purpose of having a jail built hereon, for the use of the County of Bedford."
Instead of buying land on which to locate SHELBYVILLE,
the new County seat, a member of the Community, Mr. Clement Cannon,
donated one hundred acres of land where SHELBYVILLE now stands, for
the location. The site was plotted into lots as directed, and
very soon merchants came and established new businesses.
Best authorities available show that SHELBYVILLE was named for
a Distinguished Indian fighter, Colonel Issac Shelby. He later became
prominent in state and national political affairs during the early days of
both Tennessee and Kentucky.