Plymouth is a
borough
A borough is an administrative division in various English language, English-speaking countries. In principle, the term ''borough'' designates a self-governing walled town, although in practice, official use of the term varies widely.
History
...
in
Luzerne County, Pennsylvania, United States, located west of
Wilkes-Barre, along the
Susquehanna River
The Susquehanna River ( ; Unami language, Lenape: ) is a major river located in the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic region of the United States, crossing three lower Northeastern United States, Northeast states (New York, Pennsylvani ...
. The population was 5,763 as of the 2020 census.
History
Plymouth was first settled in 1769 by the Susquehanna Company of
Connecticut
Connecticut ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It borders Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, New York (state), New York to the west, and Long Island Sound to the south. ...
, and until its incorporation as a borough in 1866, was part of
Plymouth Township. The
Pennamite-Yankee Wars were fought in the surrounding area. The town is situated in the once rich
anthracite coal fields of eastern Pennsylvania. Coal was first shipped in 1807. In the past, the products of its manufacturing establishments included miners’ drilling machines and squibs, silk hosiery, and lumber products. Its population peaked in 1910 at 16,996.
Architecture
At the beginning of the 19th century, Plymouth's primary industry was agriculture, and many of its residents were the descendants of the Connecticut Yankees who first settled the town. Its early architecture resembled that of a small
New England
New England is a region consisting of six states in the Northeastern United States: Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Vermont. It is bordered by the state of New York (state), New York to the west and by the ...
village.
Large quantities of anthracite coal lay below the surface at various depths, and by the 1850s, coal mining had become the town's primary occupation, attracting a more diverse population. After the arrival of the railroad in 1857, the town's architecture became more typical of a growing industrial center.
File: SOLDIERS SAILORS PLYMOUTH MONUMENT.jpg, Soldiers and Sailors Monument (dedicated 1920)
Geography
According to the
United States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau, officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the Federal statistical system, U.S. federal statistical system, responsible for producing data about the American people and American economy, econ ...
, the borough has a total area of , of which is land and , or 7.31%, is water.
Demographics
2020 demographics
At the 2020 census, Plymouth had a population of 5,763.
2010 demographics
At the 2010 census, Plymouth had a population of 5,951. The reported racial and ethnic origin of the population was 90.6% White, 4.3% African American, 0.2% Native American, 0.5% Asian, 0.1% from other races, 2.0% reporting two or more races, and 3.3% Hispanic or Latino.
2000 demographics
As of the census
of 2000, Plymouth had a population of 6,507. The reported racial and ethnic origin of the population was 98.4%
White
White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no chroma). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully (or almost fully) reflect and scatter all the visible wa ...
, 0.8%
African American
African Americans, also known as Black Americans and formerly also called Afro-Americans, are an Race and ethnicity in the United States, American racial and ethnic group that consists of Americans who have total or partial ancestry from an ...
, 0.2%
Native American, 0.1%
Asian, 0.2% from
other races, and 0.3% from two or more races.
Hispanic
The term Hispanic () are people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or broadly. In some contexts, Hispanic and Latino Americans, especially within the United States, "Hispanic" is used as an Ethnici ...
or
Latino of any race were 0.8% of the population. The median income for a household in the borough was $27,379.
Education
It is in the
Wyoming Valley West School District.
Notable people
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Ike Borsavage (1924–2014), born in Plymouth; professional basketball player.
*
Abe Cohen (1933–2001), born in Plymouth; professional football player.
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Stanley Woodward Davenport (1861–1921), born and lived in Plymouth; lawyer and Democratic congressman.
*
Mark Duda (born 1961), born in Plymouth; professional football player.
*
Harry Livingston French (1871–1928), born in Plymouth; grew up there; the architect of Plymouth’s Central School.
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Gwilym Gwent (1834–1891), Welsh-born composer; lived and worked in Plymouth after immigrating.
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Jimmy Harnen (born 1963), grew up in Plymouth; singer and songwriter.
*Gov.
Arthur Horace James (1883–1973), Plymouth native son; lawyer, judge, governor of Pennsylvania.
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Benjamin James (1912–2015), born in Plymouth; college football coach.
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Col. Benjamin Washington Johnson (1924–1992), Plymouth high school class of 1933; record-breaking collegiate sprinter.
*
Milton Jones (1894–1932), born in Plymouth; race car driver.
*
Joe Katchik (1931–2014), born in Plymouth; Plymouth high school class of 1949; professional football player.
*
David Kautter (born ca 1948), Plymouth high school class of 1966; lawyer and tax policy advisor.
*
John Kraynak (1894–1961), born in Plymouth; one of many pugilists who adopted the alias “K.O. Sweeney.”
*
Walter J. Kozloski (1935–1979), born in Plymouth; New Jersey politician.
*
Frank Martz Sr. (1885–1936), born in Plymouth; businessman.
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John E. Mazur (1930–2013), born in Plymouth; Plymouth high school class of 1948; professional football player.
*
John G. Mellus (1917–2005), born in Plymouth; professional football player.
*
Thomas Byron Miller (1896–1976), born in Plymouth; lawyer, Republican congressman.
*
David P. Reese Jr. (1905–1962), born in Plymouth, state representative.
*
George Washington Shonk (1850–1900), born in Plymouth; lawyer and Republican congressman.
*
Herbert B. Shonk (1881–1930), born in Plymouth; New York politician.
*
James Francis Stanley (1887–1947), born in Plymouth; professional baseball player.
*
Thomas W. Templeton (1867–1935), born in Plymouth; florist, Republican congressman.
*
Frank Comerford Walker (1886–1959), born in Plymouth; lawyer,
United States Postmaster General
The United States postmaster general (PMG) is the chief executive officer of the United States Postal Service (USPS). The PMG is responsible for managing and directing the day-to-day operations of the agency.
The PMG is selected and appointed by ...
.
*
Thomas Joseph Walker (1877–1945), born in Plymouth; lawyer, and
United States Customs Court judge.
*
Hendrick Bradley Wright (1808–1881), born in Plymouth; lawyer, Democratic congressman and author; his history of Plymouth was published in 1873.
See also
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History of Plymouth, Pennsylvania
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Coal mining in Plymouth, Pennsylvania
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Architecture of Plymouth, Pennsylvania
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Pennamite–Yankee War
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Shawnee Cemetery, Plymouth, Pennsylvania
References
External links
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{{authority control
Pennsylvania populated places on the Susquehanna River
Populated places established in 1769
Boroughs in Luzerne County, Pennsylvania
Lithuanian-American culture in Pennsylvania
1769 establishments in Pennsylvania