Plymouth was first settled in 1769 by the Susquehanna Company of Connecticut. It was originally part of Plymouth Township. The Pennamite-Yankee Wars were fought in the surrounding area. Plymouth is situated in the once rich anthracite coal fields of eastern Pennsylvania. Coal was first shipped in 1807. Plymouth was incorporated as a borough in 1866. Elijah C. Wadhams served as the first mayor; he held office until 1869. In the past, the chief products of its manufacturing establishments included mining drilling machines, miners' 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. Its early architecture resembled that of a small New England village. However, vast anthracite coal beds lay below the surface at various depths, and by the 1850s, coal mining was the town's primary occupation, attracting a more diverse population. After the arrival of the railroad, the town's architecture became more typical of a growing industrial center.
Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the borough has a total area of, of which is land and , or 7.31%, is water.
As of the census of 2000, there were 6,507 people, 2,794 households, and 1,673 families residing in the borough. The population density was 5,924.2 people per square mile. There were 3,260 housing units at an average density of 2,968.0 per square mile. The racial makeup of the borough was 98.43% White, 0.75% African American, 0.15% Native American, 0.11% Asian, 0.22% from other races, and 0.34% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.80% of the population. There were 2,794 households, out of which 26.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 40.6% were married couplesliving together, 14.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 40.1% were non-families. 35.5% of all households were made up of individuals, and 20.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.31 and the average family size was 3.02. In the borough the population was spread out, with 23.2% under the age of 18, 8.5% from 18 to 24, 26.9% from 25 to 44, 20.7% from 45 to 64, and 20.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females, there were 86.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 82.2 males. The median income for a household in the borough was $27,379, and the median income for a family was $36,060. Males had a median income of $26,111 versus $20,429 for females. The per capita income for the borough was $14,207. About 10.8% of families and 15.2% of the population were below the poverty line, including 25.2% of those under age 18 and 13.4% of those age 65 or over.
Notable people
The noteworthy individuals who claimed Plymouth as their birthplace or former residence:
