Overview The town of Shelby, in the southwest corner of Orleans County, contains the south portion of the village of Medina along with several other communities. This town has plenty of wide-open spaces especially appealing to nature lovers. The Iroquois National Wildlife Refuge, run by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, is partly in Shelby, and a small portion of the Tonawanda Wildlife Management Area, adjacent to the Iroquois refuge, also is here. The Oak Orchard River, a huge fishing spot and commonly called the Oak Orchard Creek here, runs through Shelby. West of the village of Medina is Shelby Basin, a former wide part of the Erie Canal where barges could turn. The community of Millville, given its name because of several water-powered mills that were there, is in the northeast part of Shelby. The town is bordered to the south by Genesee County and to the west by Niagara County
Local Museums & Landmarks
Many landmarks here are the outdoor type, like the wildlife refuges. The John Shelp Cobblestone House on Route 87 is on the National Register of Historic Places, along with two barns and a milk house on the grounds. The village of Medina has numerous sites: The Erie Canal is the most obvious, as well as a well-known railroad museum and an historic Main Street district. The Medina Historical Society is on West Avenue. |