Plymouth, Pennsylvania facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Plymouth, Pennsylvania
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Borough
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Municipal building
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Location of Plymouth in Luzerne County, Pennsylvania
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 Plymouth, Pennsylvania
Location in Pennsylvania
Plymouth, Pennsylvania
Location in the United States
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| Country | United States |
| State | Pennsylvania |
| County | Luzerne |
| Settled | 1769 |
| Incorporated | 1866 |
| Government | |
| • Type | Borough Council |
| Area | |
| • Total | 1.17 sq mi (3.03 km2) |
| • Land | 1.07 sq mi (2.78 km2) |
| • Water | 0.10 sq mi (0.25 km2) |
| Population
(2020)
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| • Total | 5,763 |
| • Density | 5,370.92/sq mi (2,073.51/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC−5 (Eastern (EST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−4 (EDT) |
| Zip code |
18651
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| Area code(s) | 570 |
| FIPS code | 42-61648 |
Plymouth is a small town, also called a borough, in Luzerne County, Pennsylvania. It is located about 4 miles (6.4 km) west of Wilkes-Barre, right along the Susquehanna River. In 2020, about 5,763 people lived there.
Contents
History of Plymouth
Plymouth was first settled in 1769 by a group from Connecticut called the Susquehanna Company. For a long time, until 1866, it was part of Plymouth Township. The area around Plymouth was once the site of the Pennamite-Yankee Wars. These were fights between settlers from Connecticut and Pennsylvania over land.
The town is in a region that used to be very rich in anthracite coal. Anthracite is a type of hard, black coal that burns very cleanly. Coal was first sent out from Plymouth in 1807. In the past, factories in Plymouth made things like tools for miners, silk stockings, and wood products. The town's population was largest in 1910, with almost 17,000 people.
Plymouth's Changing Architecture
At the start of the 1800s, Plymouth was mostly a farming town. Many of its residents were descendants of the first settlers from Connecticut. The buildings looked like those in a small village in New England.
But deep underground, there was a lot of anthracite coal. By the 1850s, coal mining became the main job in Plymouth. This brought many different people to the town. When the railroad arrived in 1857, Plymouth started to look more like a busy industrial town.
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Soldiers and Sailors Monument (dedicated 1920)
Geography of Plymouth
Plymouth has a total area of about 1.17 square miles (3.03 square kilometers). Most of this area, about 1.07 square miles (2.78 square kilometers), is land. The rest, about 0.10 square miles (0.25 square kilometers), is water.
Population and People
| Historical population | |||
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| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1870 | 2,684 | — | |
| 1880 | 6,065 | 126.0% | |
| 1890 | 9,344 | 54.1% | |
| 1900 | 13,649 | 46.1% | |
| 1910 | 16,996 | 24.5% | |
| 1920 | 16,500 | −2.9% | |
| 1930 | 16,543 | 0.3% | |
| 1940 | 15,507 | −6.3% | |
| 1950 | 13,021 | −16.0% | |
| 1960 | 10,401 | −20.1% | |
| 1970 | 9,536 | −8.3% | |
| 1980 | 7,605 | −20.2% | |
| 1990 | 7,134 | −6.2% | |
| 2000 | 6,507 | −8.8% | |
| 2010 | 5,951 | −8.5% | |
| 2020 | 5,763 | −3.2% | |
| Sources: | |||
The population of Plymouth has changed over the years. It grew a lot during the coal mining boom. In 2020, the population was 5,763 people. In 2010, there were 5,951 people living in Plymouth. Most residents were White, but there were also African American, Native American, Asian, and Hispanic or Latino people. This shows that Plymouth has a diverse community.
Education in Plymouth
Students in Plymouth attend schools within the Wyoming Valley West School District.
Famous People from Plymouth
Many interesting people have come from Plymouth, Pennsylvania:
- Ike Borsavage (1924–2014), a professional basketball player.
- Abe Cohen (1933–2001), a professional football player.
- Stanley Woodward Davenport (1861–1921), a lawyer and congressman.
- Mark Duda (born 1961), a professional football player.
- Harry Livingston French (1871–1928), an architect who designed Plymouth’s Central School.
- Gwilym Gwent (1834–1891), a Welsh composer who lived and worked in Plymouth.
- Jimmy Harnen (born 1963), a singer and songwriter.
- Gov. Arthur Horace James (1883–1973), a lawyer, judge, and governor of Pennsylvania.
- Benjamin James (1912–2015), a college football coach.
- Col. Benjamin Washington Johnson (1924–1992), a record-breaking college sprinter.
- Milton Jones (1894–1932), a race car driver.
- Joe Katchik (1931–2014), a professional football player.
- David Kautter (born ca 1948), a lawyer and tax policy advisor.
- John Kraynak (1894–1961), a boxer known as “K.O. Sweeney.”
- Walter J. Kozloski (1935–1979), a New Jersey politician.
- Frank Martz Sr. (1885–1936), a businessman.
- John E. Mazur (1930–2013), a professional football player.
- John G. Mellus (1917–2005), a professional football player.
- Thomas Byron Miller (1896–1976), a lawyer and congressman.
- George Washington Shonk (1850–1900), a lawyer and congressman.
- Herbert B. Shonk (1881–1930), a New York politician.
- James Francis Stanley (1887–1947), a professional baseball player.
- Thomas W. Templeton (1867–1935), a florist and congressman.
- Frank Comerford Walker (1886–1959), a lawyer and United States Postmaster General.
- Thomas Joseph Walker (1877–1945), a lawyer and judge.
- Hendrick Bradley Wright (1808–1881), a lawyer, congressman, and author.
Images for kids
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Downtown Plymouth
See also
In Spanish: Plymouth (Pensilvania) para niños
