In May 1923 in preparation for the upcoming fight, 500 buildings were built. The Great Falls Tribune reported that "Main Street resembles a freight yard with lumber and material being strewn about." This included the 3-story Art Deco style Rainbow Hotel to accommodate the influx of visitors.
On the night of April 4th, 1951 60-year-old Clarence C. Pellett was murdered by Frank Dryer a 19 year old hitchicker he picked up while dropping off a deposit. After having two execution stayed by the Montana Supreme Court He only served 13 years of a life sentence by reason of insanity. He was paroled into his brothers custody and after 18 months absconded. Warrant were issued by Montana and the FBI still he vanished into thin air. For forty years, the murderer invented a whole new life. He used a series of aliases to hide in plain sight. Untill in 2010 Palletts grandson Clem tracked down his grandfather’s murderer. After years of work, Dryman was sent back to the Montana State Prison. The story of the capture of the longest absconding fugitive in Montana history was picked up by the media from coast to coast and a book Murder on Montana’s Hi-Line was released and in 2022 a movie was filmed .
On November 17th, 1977 KSEN and the bowling ally went up in flames, caused by a faulty electrical outlet behind a teletype machine. The entire building was a complete loss.
KSEN Fire
In the early 2000s the town hosted a dog camp that made national news.[7][8] It was named Camp Collie and helped mistreated dogs.
Welker Farms, an agricultural operation known for its popular social media channels, is located near Shelby.[9]
On January 20th, 2024 a fire broke out in Shelby Nail & Spa and damaged The Prairie Peddler and The Well Done Foundation. The fire was caused by an electrical cord.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 6.18 square miles (16.01km2), of which 6.03 square miles (15.62km2) is land and 0.15 square miles (0.39km2) is water.[11]
Climate
Shelby has four distinct seasons, and is considered an arid climate. Long, severe winters give way to springlike weather anywhere from March to May. Summers can be dry and hot, and the area is prone to lightning, hail, and severe thunderstorms during the summer months.[12] Fall weather is often unpredictable, with snow falling during October some years, and temperatures well into the 60s °F (10s °C) stretching until the end of November on other years. Due to the city's location just off of the Rocky Mountain Front, wind is a constant.
A weather station operated in the town from the late 1990s shows slightly higher temperatures than nearby towns such as Cut Bank.
Climate data for Shelby, Montana, 1991–2020 normals, extremes 1950–present
At the 2010 census there were 3,376 people in 1,245 households, including 717 families, in the city. The population density was 559.9 inhabitants per square mile (216.2/km2). There were 1,371 housing units at an average density of 227.4 per square mile (87.8/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 89.5% White, 0.8% African American, 6.5% Native American, 0.5% Asian, 0.8% from other races, and 1.9% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 3.0%.[16]
Of the 1,245 households 28.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 43.8% were married couples living together, 9.2% had a female householder with no husband present, 4.7% had a male householder with no wife present, and 42.4% were non-families. 37.4% of households were one person and 14% were one person aged 65 or older. The average household size was 2.17 and the average family size was 2.84.
The median age was 40.3 years. 18.9% of residents were under the age of 18; 8.3% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 29.3% were from 25 to 44; 29.9% were from 45 to 64; and 13.6% were 65 or older. The gender makeup of the city was 58.3% male and 41.7% female.
2000 census
At the 2000 census there were 3,216 people in 1,196 households, including 735 families, in the City of Shelby. The population density was 1,018.8 inhabitants per square mile (393.4/km2). There were 1,349 housing units at an average density of 427.3 per square mile (165.0/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 92.48% White, 0.25% African American, 4.17% Native American, 0.40% Asian, 0.25% from other races, and 2.46% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.24%.[17]
Of the 1,196 households 30.9% had children under 18 living with them, 50.8% were married couples living together, 7.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 38.5% were non-families. 35.5% of households were one person and 16.1% were one person aged 65 or older. The average household size was 2.34 and the average family size was 3.07.
The age distribution was 24.0% under the age of 18, 7.2% from 18 to 24, 29.5% from 25 to 44, 22.9% from 45 to 64, and 16.4% 65 or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females there were 107.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 108.9 males.
The median household income was $29,219 and the median family income was $41,046. Males had a median income of $27,634 versus $19,444 for females. The per capita income for the city was $15,071. About 6.1% of families and 8.6% of the population were below the poverty line, including 8.8% of those under age 18 and 7.5% of those age 65 or over.
Education
Shelby Public Schools educates students from kindergarten through 12th grade.[18] In the 2021-2022 school year, Shelby High School had 112 students enrolled.[19] The school's team name is the Coyotes.[20]
Toole County Library is a public library in Shelby.[21]
Media
The Shelby Promoter is the newspaper for Shelby. It is printed weekly and also offers an e-edition.[22]
Montana Veterans Memorial was created by six local veterans and includes a 110-foot flag pole that flys a 30×50 foot American Flag. Constructed in 2005 at a cost estimated to be over 150,000 dollars. The project was funded by the original volunteers and grew to include donations from local businesses, the public, and donations of labor, time, and construction materials from local contractors. The flag project is now reorganized through the Toole County Community Foundation under a non-profit. Six smaller 30-ft. poles were later installed to fly the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine, Coast Guard, and POW-MIA service flags.
The Rainbow Hotel is a 3-story Art Deco hotel built in 1923 to accommodate visitors coming to Shelby for the Jack Dempsey vs. Tommy Gibbons fight. It was a popular place to stay on U.S. Route 2 Until its closure in 1988. The City of Shelby is working with Axiom Engineering Group to remodel the Rainbow in the near future.
The Roxy Theater is a 280‑seat, single‑screen Art‑Deco movie house built in 1936. It was closed in 2019.[27] In 2024 the newly formed Roxy Theater Group Board of Trustees and the City of Shelby bought the building, launching a volunteer‑driven restoration.[27] The theater was re-opened in 2025.
Roxy Theater Shelby Montana 2025
The O'Haire Manor Motel Sign is an 80 foot sign built in 1959 originally advertising the O'Haire Manor Motel.[28] The sign simply read MOTEL. It was purchased by the city in 2022 and refurbished to read SHELBY.[28]
Refurbished Sign
Notable people
James Grady, author - born and grew up in Shelby. He was on the staff of Senator Lee Metcalf.
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