Shelby County was established by European-American migrants in 1819 and named for Isaac Shelby, the former governor of Kentucky who had helped negotiate the land acquisition. From 1826 to 1868, the county seat was originally located at Raleigh. It wasn’t until after the American Civil War and the growth of Memphis that the seat was moved there. The county has a total area of 785 square miles with a population count of 937,166 residents.
The county was founded in 1792 and was named for Isaac Shelby who was the first Governor of Kentucky. The county was formed off of land given by Jefferson County. Some history about the county, one of the earliest families to settle in Shelby County was that of Daniel Ketcham of Washington County, Maryland. Ketcham, who arrived in 1784, had been a soldier in the American Revolutionary War. He had 9 children, which his oldest, John Ketchum then moved to Indiana and laid the groundwork for the creation of Indiana University. The county has total area of 386 square miles and a popluation count of 42, 074 residents.
