During the years from about 1905 to 1908 several ranches in that area were divided into farm blocks and sold, and soon the little village developed.  It was called Double Gates.  Miles Vance built a cotton gin in the rich farming area in 1906, and L. L. Shield put in a store.  When names were sent in for the post office name, the names of Double Gates, Vance and Shields were submitted, and the latter being approved.

Once a busy little village with two general merchandise stores, two churches, a telephone exchange, a gin, drug store, blacksmith shop, barber shop, schools and resident doctors, the community of Shields has seen a lot of up and down changes.  In 1958 there was only the old stone school building, used for a community center, and the two churches.  The Shields school at one time had five teachers.  Three doctors have resided and practiced there, including Dr. James, Dr. Dupree and Dr. Foreman.

The first settlers got their mail at Bowen, a post office a few miles west of Shields.  Later the community was on the Gouldbusk Route, Rockwood Route and Santa Anna Route, and then the post office was located at Shields.  The last store, owned by C. C. McDonald, and the post office closed in 1954.  The stock of goods was moved to Vick and the building was torn down for the farm-to-market road.  In 1980, the area population was 13.