Shellsford, Tennessee Explained

Official Name:Shellsford, Tennessee
Settlement Type:Unincorporated community
Pushpin Map:Tennessee#USA
Subdivision Type:Country
Subdivision Name:United States
Subdivision Type1:State
Subdivision Name1:Tennessee
Subdivision Type2:County
Subdivision Name2:Warren
Timezone:Central (CST)
Utc Offset:-6
Timezone Dst:CDT
Utc Offset Dst:-5
Elevation M:280
Elevation Ft:920
Coordinates:35.6714°N -85.7111°W
Postal Code Type:ZIP code
Postal Code:37110
Area Code:931
Blank Name:GNIS feature ID
Blank Info:1314275

Shellsford is an unincorporated community in Warren County, Tennessee, in the United States. It lies west of Cardwell Mountain, roughly along the path of Old Shellsford Road and Shellsford Highway, and mostly south of the Collins River.

History

A post office was established in 1880 as "Meadville" but the name was changed later that year to Shells, then Shellsford, and remained open until 1904.[1] It was named after local settler Christian (or James) Shell who built a grist mill at a ford in the river. The Shellsford Baptist Church, formed in 1810, is the oldest active congregation in Warren County and was once named "Buck Springs" after a local spring noted for easy deer hunting. It was a stop for Cherokees along the Trail of Tears.[2] During the late 1800s the Mead & DeBard saw & grist mills at Shellsford were some of the largest employers in the Collins River Valley. It closed around the time of the Great Depression. The community used to host haywagon parties and guided excursions in Higginbotham Cave (now Cumberland Caverns) during the late 1800s and early 1900s.

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Post Offices. Jim Forte Postal History . September 1, 2023.
  2. Web site: Remember the Removal. Cherokee Nation . September 4, 2024.