Shelby residents envision community improvements

Sun December 26 2004
Posted Dec 26, 2004
5,183

TOM MCMAHON, Staff Writer SHELBY - For a city of about 700, Shelby has more than its share of attractions - and a happening spirit fueled by residents with a vision. In fact, it's motto reflects its feet-on-the-ground, head-in-the-clouds attitude: We Acknowledge Reality and Encourage Dreams. Groups of Shelby townspeople gathered once a month, and a few Saturdays over the last year - meeting at the community building with representatives of Iowa State University's Visioning Program landscape architects and Trees Forever - to map out the vision. The vision includes luring Interstate 80 travelers into the Ag-Symbol Park, right off the trans American highway. "If we can get people to stop, maybe they will remember us if they are thinking of moving or relocating a business," said Shelby Mayor Ron Kroll. The high point - 76-feet worth - of the park is the ag symbol itself - a sculpted cornstalk celebrating the area's roots. Kroll said a New York film crew was in town during the summer filming and interviewing residents for a documentary film about the world's largest attractions. The ag symbol is one of 50 that made the cut. And that's not the town's only claim to fame. Shelby was one of 12 Iowa communities with populations under 10,000 to participate in the 2004 project geared toward improving a city's image by improving its landscape. Bob Seitz, who is on the Visioning Committee, said the group installed new vinyl fencing at the Ag-Park this fall, replacing the old wood split-rail fence. "The Ag-Symbol Park corridor will be the first area we are landscaping," he said. "Eventually we plan to have the trail loop from the park and come around into downtown." "The trail" would be Shelby's Stone Arch/Rock Island Nature Trail. Improvements continue there as well. "Printed brochures have been completed, and a signage post has been added that highlights and points out some of the areas of interest along the trail," Kroll said. He said volunteers continue to add beauty to the area by planting flowers, bushes and trees. That effort will continue, as the trail eventually winds its way into town. The Stone Arch is one of the city's points of interest. An 1883 report by the Chicago, Rock Island & Pacific Railroad listed only four 30-foot arch culvert bridges - the Shelby bridge being one of them. Most railroad bridges in Iowa were wood or timber, but limestone for the trestle was believed to have come from a quarry in Earlham, not far from the railroad's main line in that area. The bridge is on the National Register of Historic Places. And the trail itself is another example of the city having a vision and working to make it happen. According to the Natural Resources Conservation Service, several years ago Shelby bike enthusiasts were developing a new bike path just outside of town. In order to complete the path, plans called to cross an old wet pasture area owned by Alvin Jensen. At the same time, Jensen was looking for an alternative for the pasture, which was too wet for crops and cattle. The late Reverend Stan Neilson, an active and well-respected member of the Shelby community, had the vision. Neilson contacted the local Natural Resources Conservation Service, and he and NRCS staff met with Jensen about the possibility of entering the pastureland into the Wetland Reserve Program. Jensen took that step and in 1999, 20.3 acres of his property was entered into a permanent easement in the WRP. The NRCS said over the next several years Jensen, the city of Shelby, NRCS, the Iowa Department of Natural Resources Fisheries and Wildlife Division and the East Pottawattamie Soil and Water Conservation District worked together to complete the wetland restoration. In April 2000, Jensen deeded the Shelby Wetland over to the city of Shelby, which now maintains it. Kroll said this past spring a long-time city goal was realized when Doug Blumer, a local welder, and Delmar VonEschen, a city employee, spearheaded an effort to install two old steel county bridges across Silver Creek, an effort that allowed the trail to be extended. "One of the bridges was one of the oldest steel bridges in Shelby County," Kroll said. He said the bridge idea was also the brainchild of Neilson, one of the leaders in the trail's success story. Another of the town's successes is the ongoing renovation of it's railroad depot. Shelby was founded as a railroad town in 1870. The Rock Island Railroad left the town in the 1950s and 60s when it built a shortcut between Atlantic and Council Bluffs. While the city lost some of the hustle and bustle the train traffic provided, it did maintain its depot. "With help from the Iowa West Foundation, the Shelby Depot Museum and Welcome Center was able to complete the exterior (of the building) this past summer," Kroll said. He said this coming spring work will commence on the interior. "Several local groups and people have either donated or offered on loan railroad and depot artifacts to help display the early history of Shelby as a railroad town," Kroll said. He said the project is looking for more volunteers and memorabilia. Another well-known Shelby attraction is the Carstens 1880 Farmstead, a walk back into agriculture's past. The farmstead is also on the National Register of Historic Places and is operated by a group of volunteers. Going through the farmstead is like taking a trip to Grandma's farm - but in 1880. Kroll said the annual Carsten's Farm Days, the second weekend in September continues to grow every year. "This big event attracts several thousand people. All come to see the workings of an 1880's farm and machinery." But Shelby is not just about history and beauty - it's vision is also extending to economy, as it remains one of the few small towns to show a population increase since 2000. Last winter, the city finalized the purchase of 40 acres for its industrial park on the town's south side near I-80. Kroll said he and the five-member city council are working with Larry Flanagan, of Shelby County DevelopSource on developing business leads. "Two large businesses have already come to look at the site," Kroll said. The town was one of only six Iowa communities to show a German manufacturing company its business site. Kroll said a new sign should help in marketing the business park. Shelby was named after Revolutionary War general, Isaac Shelby. The city has a bit of a revolution of its own going on as it continues to acknowledge reality and encourage dreams.