In 1852, Samuel Snyder built a log cabin, which was the first permanent structure in what is now Norwalk. The settlement began to grow and was platted in 1856 by George M. Swan, who became the small community's second postmaster.

Swan is also responsible for changing the name from Pyra to Norwalk, in honor of his former home in Norwalk, Ohio.Norwalk was incorporated in 1900 with Adam Stiffler serving as its first mayor. At that time, the town was one square mile in size.