The community of Nockenut began in 1857, when a number of German and Polish immigrants settled in this area. Originally located in Guadalupe County, it became part of Wilson County after a boundary change in 1869. A post office opened in 1858, and by 1890 Nockenut was a thriving village with a population of 80. At its height, the town boasted homes, stores, a school, a church, a wagon yard, a cotton gin, and a cemetery. The origin of the town's name is the subject of several oral history accounts, most of which refer to variations on names of local trees. Nockenut began to decline after the Galveston, Harrisburg and San Antonio Railroad bypassed it in 1906. By the end of the 20th century, the cemetery was the last physical reminder of the community.