Editing Nordheim, Texas (section)

==History==
Nordheim was founded in 1895 as a [[Siding (rail)|railway siding]] known as Weldon Switch along the [[San Antonio and Aransas Pass Railway]]. The area became a settlement primarily of [[Texas Germans|German immigrants]]. H. Runge and Company—owning much of the surrounding area—along with other local figures laid out the townsite. In 1896, the community was renamed after [[Nordheim, Baden-Württemberg]] the German hometown of Runge’s president, William Frobese.

By the turn of the century, the town had developed essential services and infrastructure, including stores, a [[cotton gin]], a school, a Lutheran church, and telephone and telegraph connections. The arrival of the Davy Crockett passenger train line in 1901 allowed for the construction of a town [[Train station|passenger depot]]. One year later, in 1902 a local newspaper named ''The Nordheim View'' was launched. A hotel and a bank soon followed, and Nordheim became a hub for shipping cotton, poultry, and other crops. Social life centered around German clubs and organizations such as the [[Schützenverein|Schuetzen Verein]] shooting club and the Nordheim [[Brass band|Brass Band]]. Beginning in 1906, Local poultry growers and cotton, [[Market garden|truck-crop]], and lumber shippers were garnering praise in the nearby town newspaper the ''Cuero Star'', describing German farmers of Nordheim as a “better class”. Between 1902 and 1915 the community’s population climbed significantly—alongside eight [[Western saloon|saloons]]—prompting incorporation in 1917 when state law restricted unincorporated towns from licensing alcohol outlets. In 1922 [[Ku Klux Klan]] from nearby town [[Runge, Texas|Runge]] had threatened to violently protest the Nordheim [[Silver jubilee|Silver Jubilee]], in reaction to the presence of alcohol and gambling. Nordheim locals had responded claiming they would be “ready to meet the challenge”, causing the Ku Klux Klan back down. 

The [[Nordheim Independent School District]] formed in 1927 through the consolidation of rural schools—full accreditation followed by 1946. On May 6, 1930, a [[cyclone]] struck, killing and injuring several townspeople; emergency supplies arrived by air.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Addison |first=Brandi D. |title=From Texas' deadliest tornado to its strongest: Why May 11 is an important date in weather |url=https://www.statesman.com/story/weather/2025/05/11/worst-deadliest-strongest-tornadoes-texas-history-waco-lubbock-wichita-falls/83537883007/#:~:text=Karnes%E2%80%93DeWitt%20counties%20%E2%80%93%20May%206,killed,%20and%2060%20were%20injured. |access-date=2025-05-11 |website=Austin American-Statesman |language=en-US}}</ref> Though the [[Great Depression]] and storm damage led to business closures and an exodus of residents, the 1934 discovery of oil and gas provided new employment. Through the mid-20th century, Nordheim slowly rebuilt its commercial base and residential neighborhoods. In 1952 the local paper relocated and became the DeWitt County View, printed in [[Yorktown, Texas|Yorktown]].

In the decades that followed, the town’s population and number of businesses declined; its last cotton gin closed in 1970. Yet German cultural traditions endured: the Schuetzen Verein hall remained in use into the late 1980s, [[May Day|May Fest]] and [[Harvest festival|Harvest Fest]] continued, and the brass band—long lauded as Texas’s oldest continuously active German ensemble—played until shortly after 1972. A museum honoring local history opened in the fire station in April 1986. The town also gained cinematic fame when [[Paris, Texas (film)|Paris, Texas]] filmed scenes there in 1984.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Association |first=Texas State Historical |title=History and Heritage of Nordheim, Texas |url=https://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/entries/nordheim-tx |access-date=2025-05-11 |website=Texas State Historical Association |language=en}}</ref>