(Taken from Images of America Yorktown and Nordheim produced by Yorktown Historical Society and Nordheim Historical Museum Association, 2010; The History of DeWitt County, Texas by DeWitt County Historical Commission, 1991)
This southwest area of DeWitt County was first surveyed by the Goliad Land District in 1838. There were numerous settlers in the area before the town was laid out in 1895. It was named by William Frobese of the H. Runge & Co. after his hometown of Northeim in Hanover, Germany. The U.S. Postal Service officially recognized the name of Nordheim in 1898.
In 1886, Nordheim, originally known as Weldon Switch, was proclaimed to be the highest spot between Houston, San Antonio, and Waco by the SA&AP Railroad when they came through and established a station in Nordheim.
A State Historical Marker, erected in 1968, at Pilot Knob states, “A beacon for early Texas pioneers because this hill could be seen for miles. It guided travelers from Old Indianola (on the coast) inland to Helena and San Antonio during the 19th century. On the hill, they discovered charred rocks and artifacts from a previous Indian campground. In 1886 the San Antonio and Aransas Pass Railroad was built through this region. For years a sign at the Weldon Switch (present Nordheim) depot proclaimed its 400-foot elevation was the highest on the line between Houston, San Antonio and Waco.”
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