Heidenheimer is an unincorporated community

Unincorporated area

In law, an unincorporated area is a region of land that is not a part of any municipality.To "incorporate" in this context means to form a municipal corporation, a city, town, or village with its own government. An unincorporated community is usually not subject to or taxed by a municipal government...

 in Bell County

Bell County, Texas

Bell County is a county located in the U.S. state of Texas. Bell County was founded in 1850. It is part of the Killeen–Temple–Fort Hood Metropolitan Statistical Area. In 2000, the county's population was 237,974; in 2010 the U.S. Census Bureau reported that its population had reached...

, Texas

Texas

Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...

, United States

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

. According to the Handbook of Texas

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 .-History:...

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

Killeen, Texas

Killeen is a city in Bell County, Texas, The United States. The population was 86,911 at the 2000 census. As of 2009, Killeen had 119,510 people. In 2010 Killeen's population shot to 127,921...

–Temple

Temple, Texas

Temple is a city in Bell County, Texas, United States. Located near the county seat of Belton, Temple lies in the region referred to as Central Texas. Located off Interstate 35, Temple is 65 miles north of Austin and 34 miles south of Waco. In the 2010 Census, Temple's population was 66,102, an...

–Fort Hood Metropolitan Statistical Area

Killeen-Temple-Fort Hood metropolitan area

The Killeen-Temple-Fort Hood Metropolitan Statistical Area is a metropolitan area in Central Texas that covers three counties - Bell, Coryell, and Lampasas...

.

Geography

Heidenheimer is located at 31°01′06"N 97°18′10"W (31.0182372, -97.3027787). It is situated along U.S. Highway 190

U.S. Route 190

U.S. Route 190, also known as the Ronald Reagan Memorial Highway, is an east–west United States highway in Louisiana and Texas. It evolved from the shortest of intrastate routes in 1926 to a length comparable to a main Interstate Highway route, leading from the swamps and pine forests of...

, approximately five miles southeast of Temple and fifty-one miles northeast of Austin

Austin, Texas

Austin is the capital city of the U.S. state of :Texas and the seat of Travis County. Located in Central Texas on the eastern edge of the American Southwest, it is the fourth-largest city in Texas and the 14th most populous city in the United States. It was the third-fastest-growing large city in...

 in eastern Bell County.

History

Heidenheimer grew up around the Atchison, Topeka, and Santa Fe Railway in 1881. The community was named in honor of S. Heidenheimer, a Galveston

Galveston, Texas

Galveston is a coastal city located on Galveston Island in the U.S. state of Texas. , the city had a total population of 47,743 within an area of...

 merchant who served as the railroad's director. In 1884, Heidenheimer had 75 inhabitants and a few business. 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, saloon, lumber operation, and a newspaper (the Sun). Heidenheimer School was the third largest rural school in Bell County with a total of 149 students and three teachers. The population peaked at 250 in 1925. That figure had declined to 125 by the late 1940s. A slight increase was registered by 1990, when 144 people lived in the community.

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

Education

Public education in the community of Heidenheimer is provided by the Academy Independent School District

Academy Independent School District

Academy Independent School District is a school district based in Little River-Academy, Texas .In addition to Little River-Academy, the district also serves the community of Heidenheimer....

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

Little River-Academy, Texas

Little River-Academy is a city in Bell County, Texas, United States. The population was 1,645 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Killeen–Temple–Fort Hood Metropolitan Statistical Area.-Geography:...

.