Shelby County is Established

It is during the years from 1870 to 1920 period that many of Sidney’s downtown buildings were constructed. This new county existed in what used to be the northern part of Miami County and also included land in what is now Allen and Auglaize counties. It was named after General Isaac Shelby, an officer in the Revolutionary War and the first governor of Kentucky. Even though it was his namesake, it is believed that General Shelby (pictured below) did not ever visit this area.

In April 1819, the state legislature declared Shelby a new county with a population of 1,500 to 2,000. By 1820, 2,142 people lived there and in 1830, 3,671. The population in Sidney in 1840 was 713; in 1850; 1,284; in 1860; 1,997; in 1879; 2,808 and in 1880; 3,823 people. The population in the county in 1840 was 12,153; in 1850, 13,958; in 1860, 17,493; in 1870, 20,748; in 1880, 24,137; in 1890, 24,707; in 1900, 24,625; in 1910, 24,663 and in 1920, 25,923.

'Downtown' segment written in October, 1998 by Sherrie Casad-Lodge 

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