Village of Shelby

THE VILLAGE IN 1873. An extract from the Pentwater News of 1873, when the fillage was but one year old, will contrast with another from the same paper in 1881, which we append below: "The village of Barnett, in shelby Township, started last year, seems to be building, just now, quite rapidly. W. H. churchill, the postmaster of Shelby, has removed the postoffice to Barnett Station, - where it presents a very neat and imposing appearance - and, in company with Mr. Neff, Mr. Churchill is keeping a hardware and variety store. Mr. E. J. shirts, lately of Lansing is keeping a small dry goods store, and is now arranging to build quite a capacious one. Mr. William Branch, in company with another gentleman, has just opened a boot and shoe and general variety store, and all seem to be in prospect of doing a good business. Dr. C. F. Sweet is building a new drug store, and G. W. Woodward, Esq. the newly-elected supervisor is about erecting a grain warehouse, for the purpose of buying and storing farmers' produce. This will be quite an important feature of the town, as the opening of a cash market for produce is a very great help to any village. Messrs. Malcolm & Williams have a very fine mill in operation here, and thousands of dollars have been paid by different parties for logs, this Winter, to be sawed up into lumber by this mill. Messrs. Williams & Son are about putting up a new store, and will, as it is finished, remove their stock of goods into it from their present location at Shelby Corners. Stumps are very thick in the village of Banett, but time and labor will soon efface them, and Barnett may ere long be a very pleasant village. SHELBY OF THE PRESENT. The following is from a recent issue of the News, and shows the village as it is: In 1872, when the first iron horse rumbled over Section 17, of Shelby Township, a few rude buildings, not exceeding half a dozen in number, might be seen in the vicinity of what is known as Churchill's Corners, in which were grouped all the business interests of the place. A total inventory of all stock in trade of the business houses at this time might have amounted to $2,000, but would scarcely exceed that amount. Farms, with small clearings upon them, owned by Churchill, Randall, the Elliotts, Jason Carpenter, and others, were noticed, but did not appear to offer very encouraging inducements to a stranger, and travelers generally gave a sigh of relief as they passed, thankful that they were not located in this out-of-the-way spot, among the immense forests which surrounded these hardy pioneers. But the railroad came, a portable mill was built on the site now occupied by C. A. Hawley's extensive mill operations, and a few enterprising persons, noting the wealth of the soil, the magnificent forests of fine timber growing, its favorable location as a trading center, went to work and platted a village, using the old farm of E. W. Elliott, Pentwater's present landlord, for the site. Buildings began to spring up as if by magic, stores to be built, stocks of choice goods to arrive, the great and abundant yield of the soil encouraged farmers, and farm improvements kept pace with the work in the embryo village, and just when the people needed some money, the pigeons came in countless millions, and the wealth they brought gave a new stimulus to business. Other business enterprises began to start up; Williams Bros. mill, Halstead's wagon works, the stave factory, Rankin's coal kilns, whose business headquarters are in Shelby, all of whihc poured into the business contribution box of Shelby, thousands of dollars monthly. Merchants, commencing poor, accumulated and spent their surplus in improving and building up the place. Two beautiful places of worship and one of the finest school buildings in the county were erected, and to-day Shelby is a village of nearly ne thousand inhabitants, representing nearly every trade and occupation, with two hotels, five dry goods and grocery stores, three groceries, two hardware, two harness shops, one millinery and dressmaker's establishment, two drug stores, one photograph gallery, one furniture store, one barber shop, two jewelry establishments, one meat market, four blacksmith shops, two sawmills, one planing mill, two extensive wagon and carriage shops, five church organizations, established lodge of Odd Fellows and Masons. Sidewalks extend both sides of Main Street, through the entire business portion of the village. The people point with pride to their business houses, and say that to-day an inventory taken of capital employed in business would carry the amount into the hundreds of thousands, and yet not a failure to record against us. Shelby is located in the midst of one of the most fertile farming counties to be found, her shipments making her especially noted as a potato and wheat producing section, while her fruit, hay and corn products are now bringing her into prominent notice. As a trade center, she draws from the southern tier of towns to within a short distance of Montague; the western and eastern towns she divides with Hart. She is very favorably located upon the railroad, and has the advantage of two trains a day, each way. Taken, all in all, Shelby is a big ten-year old, and is justified in being proud of her growth.