In the 1860s, a group of
Voortrekkers known as the
Jerusalem Trekkers set off for the
Holy Land. After discovering a wide river flowing northwards, they consulted the maps at the back of their Bibles and decided that it was the
Nylrivier (
Nile river). They called the stream
Nyl River and settled the town and called it
Nylstroom in 1866. After discovering what they believed to be a ruined pyramid, they were convinced that they had found the Nile. It was in fact, a natural hillock, known to the locals as
Modimolle. In March 1866, the district of
Waterberg was created out of some of the districts of
Rustenburg and
Zoutpansberg with a landdrost established in Nylstroom. A
Dutch Reformed Church was built in 1889 and is the oldest church in South Africa north of Pretoria. It was also used as a hospital during the
Second Boer War. The river is the
Nyl River, a tributary of the
Mogalakwena River. The first
South African railway line reached Modimolle in 1898, connecting the town to Pretoria. During the
Second Boer War, the
British government operated a
concentration camp in Modimolle, where
Boer women and children where interned as part of the
Lord Kitchener's
scorched earth policy. 544 of those interned at the camp died of various causes before it was closed upon the conclusion of the war in 1902.
Strijdom Huis (Strijdom House) was the primary residence of the 6th
Prime Minister of South Africa,
JG Strijdom, and is situated in Modimolle.
Name change The South African government officially changed the name of the town to
Modimolle in 2002. The name comes from the
Sotho-Tswana phrase,
Modimo o lle, meaning "the forefather's spirit has eaten", or "God has eaten". Other numerous name changes include the renaming of both a municipal building and the town hall after
Oliver Tambo, the library being renamed the
Ruth First Memorial Library, as well as the renaming of several streets. ==Notable people==