The land on which the township is situated is the traditional territory of the Mississauga,[7] and became open to European colonization following its survey in 1820.

The presence of trillium also inspired early surveyor Richard Birdsall to name the region after a similar-looking wildflower native to England, the asphodel.

By the time of the arrival of the first French explorers to the region, the land that is now the township, along with the rest of Central Ontario, was contested between the Haudenosaunee and the Wendat.

The abundance of trilliums Birdsall encountered while conducting the survey reminded him of the asphodels of his native England, and it is for these that the township was named.

[11] In 1823, Joseph Keeler, a Major in the colonial militia during the War of 1812, was granted 500 acres of land in Asphodel along the Ouse River as a reward for his services.

[8] In subsequent years Keeler expanded his property through purchasing neighbouring lots until it grew to a size of 2000 acres by 1836.

That year, the mill complex was upgraded and expanded with additional machinery, and Keeler had part of his property divided into village lots.

Despite being the closest site to the original colonial presence in the township, Westwood was the slowest of the Asphodel settlements to develop, with the first mill only being built there in 1832 by Thomas Walker.

In 1810 James Crooks, a land speculator residing in Niagara, acquired a large stretch of property alongside the rapids in the Trent River in what was then Percy Township.

[18] On 1 April 1874 the settlement, which was bifurcated physically by the Trent and politically by the county line separating Peterborough and Northumberland, was incorporated as the Village of Hastings.

The township government moved back to Norwood, with the municipal office in Westwood becoming home to the local historical society.

[4] Mother tongue (2021):[4] The town's council includes a Mayor, Deputy-Mayor, and three councilors elected on the basis of one per ward.

The Spring Street Arena was an outdoor facility that featured Norwood taking on TVL rivals such as neighboring Havelock, Hastings, Warsaw, Douro, Marmora and Keene.

Brethen Coliseum was built originally for use for the Norwood Fair, however, was converted into a hockey arena and was used until the year 2001 when the new Asphodel–Norwood Community Centre opened.

Around this time, the Norwood programs participated in the Hastings & District League against newer opponents such as Ennismore, Warkworth and Campbellford.

In the early 1980s, former National Hockey League (NHL) goaltender Marv Edwards settled in Norwood and implemented the Fundamentals In Action (FIA) skills development system.

It was believed that much of Norwood's minor hockey success was attributed to the Brethen Coliseum's small, tight quarters.

David Stewart, a key member of several OMHA championships in the mid-1980s, signed as a free agent with the Los Angeles Kings in 1992 after three years of major junior with the OHL's Kingston Frontenacs.

Still playing at age 39, Stewart's Vipers have competed in the Major League Hockey loop for the prestigious Allan Cup since 2006.

Greg Snetsinger, who was a defenceman on several of the same 1980's Hornet teams, also went on to play four years of NCAA hockey at Mercyhurst College in Erie, Pennsylvania.

Mike Payne, a native of nearby Westwood, graduated Hornets programs at age 17 and played OHA Jr.B.

While with the Roadrunners, Payne was a teammate of future NHLers, and Stanley Cup champions Darren McCarty and Jassen Cullimore.

After her playing days were over, Richardson went on to become one of the top women's hockey referees in the world and officiated the 2010 Olympic Winter Games in Vancouver, BC.