[3] The original plat of Norris City was filed for record in the White County Courthouse in Carmi, Illinois on August 17, 1871, at 8 a.m.

The post office at Norris City was established May 15, 1871, with William A. Johnson appointed as the first Postmaster.

The question of how Norris City got its name has caused many debates throughout the years.

This was before the days of the Popeye cartoon character, which was created by a native of Chester, Ill..

The story is, that children going to Gum Prairie Grade School near Mr. Johnson's house gave him the nickname.

So the story goes that he went home from the meeting and told his wife, Emaline (White) Norris, and she replied she didn't think it was such a big deal to have such a small place named after you.

Mr. Ridgway was  the President of the Springfield and Illinois Southeastern Railroad, and he asked what the town had been named.

The book, “Illinois, a Descriptive and Historical Guide,” compiled in 1939 by Federal Works Agency, Works Project Administration, states that Norris City, altitude 444, population 1109, a trading center for an agricultural and coal mining district was named in honor of a pioneer settler, William Norris.

The racial makeup of the village was 98.30% White, 0.66% Native American, 0.28% Asian, and 0.76% from two or more races.

37.0% of all households were made up of individuals, and 22.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.

A popular festival known as Dairy Days takes place during the weekend of the fourth Saturday in September each year.