Norris left school early to become a trapper. He traveled all around the midwest to trap and trade. In 1838, Norris settled in northwest Ohio near the home of a good friend. In 1845, Norris married Jane K. Cottrell of Fayette, Ohio. Once married, the couple became two of the original settlers of Pioneer, Ohio. They had four children: Edward, Aurelia, Ida and Arthur. In Pioneer, Norris built a steam mill and worked as a land agent. In the span between 1850 and 1860, Norris also travelled to the western states.