Editing Shelby County, Iowa (section)

==History==
Shelby County was established on January 15, 1851. It was named after General [[Isaac Shelby]], a hero in the [[American Revolutionary War]] and the first [[Governor of Kentucky]].

Early settling in Shelby County began in 1848 in Galland's Grove.<ref>[http://www.shco.org/ A brief history, Shelby County Iowa website]</ref> On February 4, 1855, Shelbyville was designated the county seat. In April 1859, the seat was moved to Harlan. One year later the first courthouse was erected and a second courthouse was constructed in 1875. In 1892, the construction of the [[Shelby County Courthouse (Iowa)|present courthouse]] was begun, this time of stone and three storeys high. The construction was completed in 1893 with the dedication on September 14. The 1892 Shelby County Courthouse and the surrounding buildings are all listed in the National Register of Historic places effective September 23, 1994.<ref>[http://www.exploreshelbycounty.com/attractions.html Shelby County Attractions]</ref> In 1978, the building was extensively restored and still serves as the courthouse.

Starting in the 1870s, many Danish immigrants came to settle in [[Elk Horn, Iowa|Elk Horn]] in the southeastern portion of the county, and in [[Kimballton, Iowa|Kimballton]] in adjoining [[Audubon County, Iowa|Audubon County]].  More people with Danish ancestry live in this area today than any other rural community aside from Denmark itself.<Ref name="denmark">[https://www.iowapbs.org/iowapathways/mypath/2467/danes Dane], IOWA Pathways, Retrieved 25 March 2025</ref>