Shelbyville, Indiana facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Shelbyville, Indiana
City
Aerial photo of Shelbyville
Motto(s):  "Next Door. Next Level"
Location of Shelbyville in Shelby County, Indiana.
Country	United States
State	Indiana
County	Shelby
Township	Addison
Area
• Total	12.81 sq mi (33.19 km2)
• Land	12.55 sq mi (32.50 km2)
• Water	0.27 sq mi (0.69 km2)  2.36%
Elevation	761 ft (232 m)
Population  (2020)
• Total	20,067
• Density	1,599.22/sq mi (617.48/km2)
Time zone	UTC-5 (EST)
• Summer (DST)	UTC-4 (EDT)
ZIP code	46176
Area code(s)	317
FIPS code	18-69318
GNIS feature ID	2395864
Interstate Highways	I-74
U.S. Highways	US 421
Major State Roads	SR 9 SR 44
Waterways	Little Blue River, Big Blue River
Airports	Shelbyville Municipal Airport
Website	http://www.cityofshelbyvillein.com/

Shelbyville is a city in Shelby County, in the state of Indiana, United States. It is the main city and county seat of Shelby County. In 2020, about 20,067 people lived there.

History of Shelbyville

The Shelbyville Commercial Historic District has buildings from 1886.

The John Hamilton House was built in 1853.

The land where Shelbyville now stands was given to the United States by the Miami tribe in 1818. This happened through a special agreement called the Treaty of St. Mary's.

Around the same time, a brave explorer named Jacob Whetzel and his group cut a path through this new land. This path, called Whetzel's Trace, was the first main road for settlers moving into central Indiana from the east. It was very important for people settling in Shelby County.

Shelbyville was officially planned out in 1822. It was named after Isaac Shelby, who was a famous soldier and the first governor of Kentucky. The town became an official city on January 21, 1850. The city's original charter (its official document) was lost in a fire at City Hall in 1928.

The Shelbyville post office has been helping people send mail since 1823.

Early Transportation

In the late 1830s, a railroad was built that connected Shelbyville to Indianapolis. This was the very first railroad in Indiana! Later, it was made even longer to connect to other cities like Madison and Jeffersonville.

Important Places and Events

Many historic buildings in Shelbyville are listed on the National Register of Historic Places. These include the John Hamilton House, the Shelbyville Commercial Historic District, and the Shelby County Courthouse. You can learn more about the city's past at the Grover Museum, which has a cool "Streets of Old Shelby" exhibit.

In 1969, there was a plane crash nearby. Many of the people who passed away were buried in a special shared grave in Shelbyville.

A fun place for entertainment, Horseshoe Indianapolis, opened in 2009. It is owned by Caesars Entertainment.

Geography and Climate

Shelbyville is located in the middle of Indiana, not far from Indianapolis. It is about 26 miles (42 km) southeast of downtown Indianapolis. The city is built where two rivers meet: the Little Blue River and the Big Blue River.

The city covers about 12.8 square miles (33.2 square kilometers). Most of this area is land, with a small part being water from the rivers.

Weather in Shelbyville

Shelbyville has a climate with four clear seasons: spring, summer, fall, and winter. This means you can experience warm summers, cool autumns, cold winters, and mild springs.

Population and People

In 2010, there were about 19,191 people living in Shelbyville. The city had about 7,682 households. About 34% of these households had children under 18 living with them. The average age of people in Shelbyville was about 35.9 years old.

Arts and Learning

Shelbyville has a public library that is part of the Shelby County Public Library system. It's a great place to find books and learn new things!

Schools in Shelbyville

Shelbyville Central Schools is the main school district. It includes Shelbyville Senior High School, Shelbyville Middle School, and three elementary schools: Coulston, Loper, and Hendricks Elementary.

There is also a private school called St. Joseph Elementary School, which is connected to the St. Joseph Roman Catholic Church.

For many years, schools in Shelbyville were separated by race in the lower grades. However, the high school was integrated (meaning students of all races attended together) for a long time. In 1949, all elementary schools in Shelbyville became integrated, before a big national court decision in 1954 that made segregation illegal across the country.

Famous People from Shelbyville

Many interesting people have connections to Shelbyville:

• Sandy Allen (1955–2008) was known as the world's tallest living woman. She was 7 feet, 7 inches tall!
• James "Bucky" Barnes is a fictional character from Marvel Comics who was born in Shelbyville.
• Ovid Butler (1801-1881) was a lawyer and an abolitionist (someone who worked to end slavery). He practiced law in Shelbyville and later helped start Butler University.
• William Garrett was a basketball star who led the Shelbyville High School team to win the state championship in 1947.
• Thomas Hendricks was the 21st Vice President of the United States in 1885.
• Marjorie Main (1890-1975) was an actress famous for playing Ma Kettle in many movies.
• Edna Parker (1893-2008) was once the oldest living person in the world, passing away at 115 years old.
• Mike Phipps was a professional football quarterback for the Cleveland Browns and Chicago Bears.
• Mike Sexton was a professional poker player and commentator. He was added to the Poker Hall of Fame in 2009.
• Wilbur Shaw was a race car driver who won the Indianapolis 500 three times!
• Bob Zimny was a professional football player who won the 1947 NFL Championship with the Chicago Cardinals.

See also

In Spanish: Shelbyville (Indiana) para niños