When Shelby Had No Sidewalks and People Walked in the Street

Mamie Jones wrote that in the early days of Shelby there were no sidewalks. People walked in the streets, which were often dusty in dry weather and muddy in wet weather. Later, when sidewalks began to appear, they were made of planks laid on sleepers, not concrete. These plank walks were uneven, sometimes rotted, and often had holes, making night travel dangerous.

She noted that because of these conditions—especially after dark—many people carried lanterns when walking through town, even after street lamps were installed, since the light was poor and the footing uncertain.

Source: Mamie Jones.