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 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.
This kinship with other cities is reflected in the five
stars of the Norwalk logo. Each stands for one of the five
cities in the United States named Norwalk.
Norwalk was incorporated in 1900 with Adam Stiffler
serving as its first mayor. At that time, the town was
one square mile in size. |
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The slide show consists of some old town businesses.
Some of the buildings are still standing and their present
occupants are: Norwalk Hardware and Auto Store, Git N
Go Convenience Store. The final picture is of Crow's
General Store, which burnt down, the area is now a vacant
lot next to Golfarama.
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The first church meeting was held in 1855 at the Onstot
cabin, now the Howard Hughes farm. The first church was
built in 1868 under the direction of Adam Kern.
The second church (pictured) was built in 1896. It was
remodeled in 1938. The building was deemed too expensive
to add an educational wing. It was determined it would
be more feasible to build a new church. The church building
was torn down and the city purchased the property in 1969.
The property is located on North Avenue, which is currently
the City Park and Norwalk Easter Public Library. Norwalk
United Methodist Church moved into their current building
in 1970.
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Pictured in the snow, but not necessarily in order,
are Merwin Easter, Edwin Springer, Emery Snyder, Danny
Olander, Sam Bishop, Kermit Gates, Russell Caldwell,
Ivan Mealey, Elza Easter, Ray Linderman, Glenn Blackford
and Roland Simpson.
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The first railroad into town was constructed in 1882,
a narrow gauge line from Des Moines to Cainsville, Missouri.
In the 1890's the railroad was acquired by a subsidiary
of the Burlington Railroad and was widened to standard
gauge. Its primary use was for shipping farmer's livestock
to the various markets. The line was abandoned in 1947,
after a flood had severely damaged the North River bridge.
The train pictured in the current location of the city
maintenance building located at 805 Cherry Parkway. |
Please note: If you have a historical photo of
the City of Norwalk, that could be added to our web site,
please bring it to City Hall! |
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Norwalk
United Methodist Church
Norwalk's
First Football Team: 1919-1920 