Plymouth is a

borough A borough is an administrative division in various 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 the Middle Ag ...

Luzerne County, Pennsylvania Luzerne County is a county in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of , of which is land and is water. It is Northeastern Pennsylvania's second-largest county by total area. As of ...

, United States. It is located west of

Wilkes-Barre Wilkes-Barre ( or ) is a city in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania and the county seat of Luzerne County. Located at the center of the Wyoming Valley in Northeastern Pennsylvania, it had a population of 44,328 in the 2020 census. It is the secon ...

, along the

Susquehanna River The Susquehanna River (; Lenape: Siskëwahane) is a major river located in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States, overlapping between the lower Northeast and the Upland South. At long, it is the longest river on the East Coast of the ...

. 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 the southernmost state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, New York to the west, and Long Island Sound to the south. Its cap ...

, 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 Anthracite, also known as hard coal, and black coal, is a hard, compact variety of coal that has a submetallic luster. It has the highest carbon content, the fewest impurities, and the highest energy density of all types of coal and is the hig ...

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 comprising 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 to the west and by the Canadian provinces ...

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 (USCB), officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the U.S. Federal Statistical System, responsible for producing data about the American people and economy. The Census Bureau is part of the ...

, 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 hue). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully reflect and scatter all the visible wavelengths of light. White on ...

, 0.8%

African American African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American" generally denotes descendants of ens ...

, 0.2% Native American, 0.1%

Asian Asian may refer to: * Items from or related to the continent of Asia: ** Asian people, people in or descending from Asia ** Asian culture, the culture of the people from Asia ** Asian cuisine, food based on the style of food of the people from Asi ...

, 0.2% from

other races Other often refers to: * Other (philosophy), a concept in psychology and philosophy Other or The Other may also refer to: Film and television * ''The Other'' (1913 film), a German silent film directed by Max Mack * ''The Other'' (1930 film), a ...

, and 0.3% from two or more races.

Hispanic The term ''Hispanic'' ( es, hispano) refers to people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or Hispanidad. The term commonly applies to countries with a cultural and historical link to Spain and to Vic ...

Latino Latino or Latinos most often refers to: * Latino (demonym), a term used in the United States for people with cultural ties to Latin America * Hispanic and Latino Americans in the United States * The people or cultures of Latin America; ** Latin A ...

of any race were 0.8% of the population. The median income for a household in the borough was $27,379.

Notable people

* Ike Borsavage (1924-2014), born in Plymouth; professional basketball player. * Abe Cohen (1933-2001), born in Plymouth; professional football player. * Stanley Woodward Davenport (1861-1921), born and lived in Plymouth; lawyer and Democratic congressman. *

Mark Duda Mark D Duda (born February 4, 1961) is a former professional American football defensive tackle in the National Football League (NFL). He played his entire NFL career with the St. Louis Cardinals from 1983 until 1987. From 1979 to 1982, Duda pla ...

(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. *

Gwilym Gwent Gwilym Gwent (born William Aubrey Williams on November 28, 1834 and died on July 3, 1891), was a Welsh-born composer who immigrated in mid-life to the United States. Early life William Aubrey Williams was born at Tredegar in 1834, where as a boy ...

(1834-1891), Welsh-born composer; lived and worked in Plymouth after immigrating. *

Jimmy Harnen Jimmy Harnen is an American singer, songwriter, drummer, and music industry executive. He had a top ten U.S. hit in 1989 with the power ballad " Where Are You Now" credited to Jimmy Harnen with Synch (). Biography Harnen was born and raised in ...

(born 1963), grew up in Plymouth; singer and songwriter. *

Arthur Horace James Arthur Horace James (July 14, 1883April 27, 1973) was an American lawyer, politician, and judge. A Republican, he served as the 14th lieutenant governor (1927–1931) and the 31st governor (1939–1943) of Pennsylvania. Early life and career Th ...

(1883-1973), Plymouth native son; lawyer, judge, governor of Pennsylvania. * Benjamin James (1912-2015), born in Plymouth; college football coach. * Col. Benjamin Washington Johnson (1924-1992), Plymouth high school class of 1933; record-breaking collegiate sprinter. * M.C. Jones (1894-1932), born in Plymouth; race car driver. *

Joe Katchik Joseph Katchik, Jr. (January 9, 1931 – February 9, 2014) was an American football defensive tackle who played one season with the New York Titans of the American Football League (AFL). He was drafted by the Los Angeles Rams of the National Foot ...

(1931-2014), born in Plymouth; Plymouth high school class of 1949; professional football player. * Walter J. Kozloski (1935-1979), born in Plymouth; New Jersey politician. * David Kautter (born ca 1948), Plymouth high school class of 1966; lawyer and tax policy advisor. *

Anna Lukens Anna Lukens (October 29, 1844 – June 27, 1917) was an American physician from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania who practiced medicine, had leadership roles in hospitals and taught medicine. She was a vice-president of the New York Committee for t ...

(1844-1917), lived in Plymouth from 1855 to 1870, physician * Frank Martz Sr. (1885-1936), born in Plymouth; businessman. * 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. * 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. * John Kraynack (1894-1961), born in Plymouth; one of many pugilists who adopted the alias “K.O. Sweeney.” * Thomas W. Templeton (1867-1935), born in Plymouth; florist, Republican congressman. *

Frank Comerford Walker Frank Comerford Walker (May 30, 1886 – September 13, 1959) was an American lawyer and politician. He was the United States Postmaster General from 1940 until 1945, and the chairman of the Democratic National Committee from 1943 until 1944. Biog ...

(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 The United States Court of International Trade (case citations: Int'l Trade or Intl. Trade) is a U.S. federal court that adjudicates civil actions arising out of U.S. customs and international trade laws. Seated in New York City, it exercises ...

judge. *

Hendrick Bradley Wright Hendrick Bradley Wright (April 24, 1808 – September 2, 1881) was a Democratic and Greenback member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Pennsylvania. Early life Hendrick B. Wright was born in Plymouth, Pennsylvania on April 24, 180 ...

(1808-1881), born in Plymouth; lawyer, Democratic congressman and author; his history of Plymouth was published in 1873.

References

External links

* {{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