Shelby, County seat in Cleveland County, North Carolina, US
This county seat sits in the Piedmont region of southwestern North Carolina at an elevation of around 870 feet (265 m). The town spreads across roughly 21 square miles (55 km²) with residential neighborhoods, business streets, and parks.
The settlement received its charter in 1843 and took its name from Colonel Isaac Shelby, who fought at the Battle of Kings Mountain in 1780. During the 1920s, a cotton boom transformed the place into a center of textile production.
Textile mills shaped daily life for decades and created a working neighborhood with closely spaced homes and community stores. Renovated brick buildings from that era now house shops and offices and remind visitors of the region's industrial growth.
The regional airport sits north of town and serves smaller private planes. U.S. Route 74 runs through the area and connects it to Gastonia in the east and Rutherfordton in the west.
Several influential politicians from this small town, including governors and senators, shaped North Carolina state politics in the 20th century. This group later became known as the Shelby Dynasty and demonstrated the surprising political power of a remote rural center.
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