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Shelby, Indiana - Back in Time ==== A Glance at History

By
Real Estate Agent with Coldwell Banker - Serving INDIANA & ILLINOIS
JON L. HENDRICKS | THE TIMES | Shelby Veterans Memorial.

Did you know?
Billionaire Dean White and his father began White Advertising in Shelby.

Hugging the north banks of the Kankakee River, this sleepy community that once drew Chicago businessmen and political types for plentiful hunting and fishing continues to draw those with a love of quiet, river life.

In 1886, William Shelby, president of the Lake Agricultural Co., laid out the area, which remains unincorporated and is the southernmost community in Lake County.

Dean White, of Whiteco Industries Inc., has his roots in Shelby, where his father, George White, and Joe KerKinderen began White Advertising. White, now a billionaire with business dealings in entertainment, hotel and real estate development and outdoor advertising, has said he has fond memories of growing up there.
The same is true of Brandi Mader who, at age 29, has never lived anywhere else.

She and her husband, Matt, who grew up nearby in rural Lowell, have one of the new homes that are now dotting the community.

"It's quiet. There are no stoplights," Mader said. "There's no grocery store. We have churches, a bar, the firehouse, the post office and a library. I have no desire to be anywhere else."
Besides family, Mader said that part of the allure is the people living there.

"We have nice people. You can do your thing, and people mind their own business," she said. "When someone passes away, everyone comes together. If you ever need someone, you just call."
Waldo and Eleanor Bartz, both retired, have lived in their Shelby home for 48 years. They say the people of Shelby are its greatest asset.

"All summer, our neighbor mowed our lawn and wouldn't take a penny. I have three friends who take me places because I don't drive anymore. They won't accept money for gas," Eleanor Bartz said.

"Three weeks ago, our neighbors, nine of them, came over and cleaned our yard. You can't buy friends like that. ... Our daughter, who is a psych nurse living in Chicago, can't get over how our neighbors help."

Like Mader, Eleanor Bartz said that Shelby residents let others live their lives as they wish.

"You can be who you are," Eleanor Bartz said. "You don't have to put on airs. People are not judgmental." Mader said another attraction is the comparatively low taxes on Shelby homes, although she said it seems that higher taxes may be catching up to them.

Mader said she and her husband have purchased 50 acres closer to the river on which they plan to build a new residence. It's an investment in the community she's always called home.

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