The Village of Norwalk: A Brief History

Norwalk, Wisconsin was given its name by Selium McGary, one of the pioneers of Monroe County, who named it after Norwalk, Ohio, where he had previously lived. It is located on what was once the main line of the Chicago and North Western Railroad, which in the 1960s was famously converted into the legendary Elroy-Sparta State Bike Trail.

Norwalk is located on the northern edge of the Kickapoo River Valley. Moore Creek, a tributary of the Kickapoo River, runs directly through the Village, while the main artery of the Kickapoo River itself navigates through our neighbors in the Village of Wilton to the southeast. The Kickapoo River Valley is nestled beautifully in Wisconsin's renowned Driftless Area—the only region in the entire state completely missed by massive, crushing glaciers during the last Ice Age. Due to this unique geological history, our steep hills and rolling valley ecosystems stand in beautiful contrast to the flat plains found elsewhere in the state.