Heidenheimer is an

unincorporated community An unincorporated area is a region that is not governed by a local municipal corporation. Widespread unincorporated communities and areas are a distinguishing feature of the United States and Canada. Most other countries of the world either have ...

in Bell County,

Texas Texas (, ; Spanish language, Spanish: ''Texas'', ''Tejas'') is a state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. At 268,596 square miles (695,662 km2), and with more than 29.1 million residents in 2 ...

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...

. According to the

Handbook of Texas The ''Handbook of Texas'' is a comprehensive encyclopedia of Texas geography, history, and historical persons published by the Texas State Historical Association (TSHA). History The original ''Handbook'' was the brainchild of TSHA President Wal ...

, the community had an estimated population of 144 in 2000. The community is part of the Killeen–

Temple A temple (from the Latin ) is a building reserved for spiritual rituals and activities such as prayer and sacrifice. Religions which erect temples include Christianity (whose temples are typically called churches), Hinduism (whose temples ...

–

Fort Hood Fort Hood is a United States Army post located near Killeen, Texas. Named after Confederate General John Bell Hood, it is located halfway between Austin and Waco, about from each, within the U.S. state of Texas. The post is the headquarters ...

Metropolitan Statistical Area In the United States, a metropolitan statistical area (MSA) is a geographical region with a relatively high population density at its core and close economic ties throughout the area. Such regions are neither legally Incorporated town, incorporate ...

Geography

Heidenheimer is located at (31.0182372, -97.3027787). It is situated along

U.S. Highway 190 U.S. Route 190 (US 190) is an east–west United States Highway in Louisiana and Texas. Segments of US 190 will be upgraded to Interstate 14 (I-14); the first segment was opened on January 26, 2017. Route description , - , TX , , - , ...

, approximately southeast of

, northeast of

Austin Austin is the capital city of the U.S. state of Texas, as well as the seat and largest city of Travis County, with portions extending into Hays and Williamson counties. Incorporated on December 27, 1839, it is the 11th-most-populous city ...

, east of Belton, south of

Waco Waco ( ) is the county seat of McLennan County, Texas, United States. It is situated along the Brazos River and I-35, halfway between Dallas and Austin. The city had a 2020 population of 138,486, making it the 22nd-most populous city in the st ...

, and northwest of

Rogers Rogers may refer to: Places Canada *Rogers Pass (British Columbia) *Rogers Island (Nunavut) United States * Rogers, Arkansas, a city * Rogers, alternate name of Muroc, California, a former settlement * Rogers, Indiana, an unincorporated community ...

in eastern Bell County.

History

Heidenheimer grew up around the

Atchison, Topeka, and Santa Fe Railway The Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway , often referred to as the Santa Fe or AT&SF, was one of the larger railroads in the United States. The railroad was chartered in February 1859 to serve the cities of Atchison and Topeka, Kansas, and ...

in 1881. The community was named in honor of S. Heidenheimer, a

Galveston Galveston ( ) is a coastal resort city and port off the Southeast Texas coast on Galveston Island and Pelican Island in the U.S. state of Texas. The community of , with a population of 47,743 in 2010, is the county seat of surrounding Galvesto ...

merchant, who had smuggled cotton for the Confederacy to British ships waiting outside of the blockaded city of

; he also served as the railroad's director. In 1884, Heidenheimer had 75 inhabitants that were served by a general store, a

blacksmith A blacksmith is a metalsmith who creates objects primarily from wrought iron or steel, but sometimes from #Other metals, other metals, by forging the metal, using tools to hammer, bend, and cut (cf. tinsmith). Blacksmiths produce objects such ...

shop, and a church. The local economy was dominated by the shipment of cotton, corn, and oats to other markets. By 1896, the population rose to 225. Major businesses in the community included two gins, a hotel, a saloon, a lumber operation, and a newspaper (the Sun). A bank opened in the community in 1914. The population peaked at 250 in 1925. That figure had declined to 125 by the late 1940s when it had seven businesses and three churches. A slight increase was registered by 1990 when 144 people lived in the community with two businesses and remained there in 2000. Today, the railroad is the most active area of the community, with a

grain elevator A grain elevator is a facility designed to stockpile or store grain. In the grain trade, the term "grain elevator" also describes a tower containing a bucket elevator or a pneumatic conveyor, which scoops up grain from a lower level and deposits ...

and a

cotton gin A cotton gin—meaning "cotton engine"—is a machine that quickly and easily separates cotton fibers from their seeds, enabling much greater productivity than manual cotton separation.. Reprinted by McGraw-Hill, New York and London, 1926 (); a ...

. Heidenheimer's post office, first established in 1881, is still operational to date (zip code: 76533).Zip Code Lookup
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Education

Heidenheimer School, which opened in 1884, was the third largest rural school in Bell County in 1903, with a total of 149 students and three teachers. It had two schools in 1948. Public education in the community of Heidenheimer is provided by the

Academy Independent School District Academy Independent School District is a school district based in Little River-Academy, Texas (USA). In addition to Little River-Academy, the district also serves the community of Heidenheimer. Finances As of the 2010-2011 school year, the ap ...

, which is based in the nearby city of Little River-Academy.

Notable person

Bill Lucky William Henry Lucky, Jr. (August 24, 1931 – January 9, 2012) was an American football defensive tackle. He played professionally in the National Football League (NFL) for one season, 1955, with the Green Bay Packers. Lucky played college fo ...

defensive tackle A defensive tackle (DT) is a position in American football that will typically line up on the line of scrimmage, opposite one of the offensive guards, however he may also line up opposite one of the tackles. Defensive tackles are typically the la ...

for the

Green Bay Packers The Green Bay Packers are a professional American football team based in Green Bay, Wisconsin. The Packers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC North, North division. It ...

References

External links

* {{authority control Unincorporated communities in Bell County, Texas Unincorporated communities in Texas Killeen–Temple–Fort Hood metropolitan area Populated places established in 1881 1881 establishments in Texas