Page 34 - Heathcote Brochure

The Story of Norwalk

The Name “Norwalk” itself comes from the Algonquin

word “noyank” meaning “point of land”, or its Native

American name, “Naramauke”, a Native American chief.

Norwalk was purchased in 1640 by Roger Ludlow.

The original purchase included all land between the

Norwalk and Saugatuck rivers and a day’s walk north from

the sea. Norwalk was chartered as a town on September 11,

1651.

The traditional American song “Yankee Doodle” has

Norwalk related origins. During the French and Indian War, a

regiment of Norwalkers arrived at Fort Crailo, NY, the British

regulars began to mock and ridicule the rag-tag CT troops

who only had chicken feathers for uniforms.

Dr. Richard Shuckburgh, who was a British army

surgeon, added some new words to a popular tune of the

time, Lucy Locket (for example, “stuck a feather in his cap

and called it “macaroni, macaroni being the London slang at

the time for a foppish dandy).

In 1849, the New York and New Haven Railroad

started operating through Norwalk. In 1852 the Danbury and

Norwalk Railroad connected Norwalk with Danbury. Both

railroads eventually became parts of the New York, New

Haven and Hartford Railroad.

Norwalk is a city in Fairfield County, Connecticut.

It is estimated that Norwalk is the sixth largest city in

Connecticut, and the third largest in Fairfield County. The

city is part of the New York Metropolitan area. Residents of

Norwalk are often referred to as “Norwalkers”.