Plymouth, Indiana
Plymouth is a city in Marshall County, Indiana, United States. The population is 9,033 in the 2020 census. It is the county seat of Marshall County. Plymouth was the site of the first retail outlet of defunct U.S. retailer Montgomery Ward in 1926. Geography. Plymouth, Indiana is located at (41.343894, -86.312544), along the Yellow River. According to the 2010 census, Plymouth has a total area of , of which (or 99.47%) is land and 0.04 square mile (0.1 km) (or 0.53%) is water. Demographics. 2010 census. As of the census of 2010, there were 10,033 people, 3,940 households, and  2,401 families residing in the city. The population density was . There were 4,451 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 87.2% White, 0.9% African American, 0.6% Native American, 0.5% Asian, 8.3% from other races, and 2.5% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 20.0% of the population. There were 3,940 households, of which 34.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 39.7% were married couples living together, 14.9% had a female householder with no husband present, 6.3% had a male householder with no wife present , and 39.1% were non-families. 33.5% of all households were made up of individuals, and 15% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.49 and the average family size was 3.19. The median age in the city was 34.3 years. 27.9% of residents were under the age of 18; 9.3% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 25.9% were from 25 to 44; 21.9% were from 45 to 64; and 15.2% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 47.9% male and 52.1 % female. 2000 census. As of the census of 2000, there were 9,840 people, 3,838 households, and 2,406 families residing in the city. The population density was . There were 4,100 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 80.80% White, 0.63% African American, 0.45% Native American, 0.50% Asian, 6.19% from other races, and 1.43% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 14.99% of the population. There were 3,838 households, out of which 31.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 45.3% were married couples living together, 12.2 % had a female householder with no husband present, and 37.3% were non-families. 31.4% of all households were made up of individuals, and 14.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.48 and the average family size was 3.11. In the city, the population was spread out, with 26.1% under the age of 18, 12.4% from 18 to 24, 28.8% from 25 to 44, 18.0% from 45 to 64, and 14.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 32 years. For every 100 females, there  were 93.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 89.5 males. The median income for a household in the city was $34,505, and the median income for a family was $41,447. Males had a median income of $30,444 versus $21,293 for females. The per capita income for the city was $15,417. About 10.4% of families and 13.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 15.9% of those under age 18 and 9.6% of those age 65 or over. History. Early history. This area was part of the territory of  the Potawatomi Native Americans, one of the historical tribes encountered by European-American settlers. In the nineteenth century, the United States government made numerous treaties to buy and extinguish Native American claims to land in the former Northwest Territory and the Southeast. First settlements. Marshall County was formed in 1836, during the early years of settlement and before the forced removal of the Potawatomi people in 1838. It was named for U.S. Chief Justice John Marshall, who died in 1835. Marshall County is notable as the starting point in 1838 of the Potawatomi Trail of Death, which was the forced  removal by United States forces of Chief Menominee and 859 Potawatomi Indians from Indiana to Indian Territory, at the site of present-day Osawatomie, Kansas, a distance of . The first settlers arrived in what is now Marshall County in 1835. They arrived as a result of the end of the Black Hawk War as well as the completion of the Erie Canal. They consisted primarily of settlers from New England, "Yankees" descended from the English Puritans who settled New England in the colonial era. They were mainly members of the Congregational church, although due to the Second Great Awakening many  of them had converted to Methodism and some had become Baptists before coming to what is now Marshall County. As a result of this heritage, some place names in Marshall County are named after places in New England, such as Plymouth, which is named after Plymouth, Massachusetts, the site where the "Mayflower" landed in 1620. When these settlers arrived, there was nothing but a dense virgin forest and wild marshland, which would need to be cleared and drained before it could be farmed. The Indian Removal Act of 1830 authorized forcible removal if necessary. The United States government purchased this  area under the Treaty of Tippecanoe in 1832. Plymouth was incorporated as a town in 1851. Potawatomi Relocation. Although many Potawatomi had relocated to Indian Territory in present-day Kansas, Chief Menominee and his band of the Yellow River refused to go. Militia under the authority of United States Army officers rounded them up and in September 1838, the band of 859 headed west, in what became known as the Potawatomi Trail of Death. They traveled more than 660 miles to Osawatomie, Kansas, with many of the Potawatomi walking. More than 40 of the tribal members died on the march . American Civil War. During the Civil War, Union Army soldiers arrested Daniel E. VanValkenburgh, editor of the "Plymouth Weekly Democrat", who criticized what he viewed as Lincoln's abuses of power. VanValkenburgh also criticized Department of Ohio commander Ambrose Burnside's lieutenant, General Milo S. Hascall. Hascall was in charge of the District of Indiana. VanValkenburgh called Hascall a donkey in the pages of the "Democrat." Hascall promptly dispatched soldiers to arrest VanValkenburgh and brought him before Burnside to answer charges of violating Burnside's General Order No. 38. Burnside let VanValkenburgh off with a warning. The "Democrat" became the  first of eleven Democratic newspapers suppressed or threatened with suppression in May 1863. History as a Sundown Town. Like many towns and counties in Indiana following the Reconstruction Era, Plymouth was once considered a Sundown town. There are many accounts by locals claiming the existence of signs at the northern city limits stating, "Blacks out of town by sundown" or "All non-residents are required to leave the city by 9 pm", with a city ordinance listed at the bottom. There were no such signs at the southern border of town on US 31, nor on the east and west  entrances on US 30. North of Plymouth, on US 31, is the city of South Bend, which has a large African-American population. These signs remained posted well into the mid 60's until the Fair Housing Act of 1968 which banned racial discrimination in the sale, rental, and financing of housing. Although the city has since become more inclusive, the African-American population still remains remarkably low at 0.6%. As of today, there has been no public acknowledgment by the city of its history of exclusion. Later History. On July 6, 1915 the Liberty Bell stopped in Plymouth on  its trip from Philadelphia to the Exposition at San Francisco. Much of Plymouth's history was documented in two major newspapers during the 19th century. The "Marshall County Republican" (also titled "Plymouth Republican" and "Plymouth Tribune") operated from 1856 to 1922. Its main rival the "Marshall County Democrat" (also titled "Plymouth Democrat") appeared from 1855 to 1932 (and as a weekly only edition until January 1, 1941). During the 20th century, the "Plymouth Daily Pilot" acquired the "Republican" in 1922, and the "Democrat" became the "Plymouth Daily News" in 1932. The "News" and "Pilot" merged to become the "Plymouth Pilot -News" in 1947. As part of Plymouth's sesquicentennial celebration in 1966, organizers created the first Marshall County Blueberry Festival, to take place over Labor Day weekend. This tradition has continued annually, and the Festival typically brings in tens of thousands of visitors over the four-day event. In July 1982, five firefighters were killed when their fire truck overturned while responding to a call. The tanker truck crashed on a curve near West School on state road 17. The East Laporte Street Footbridge, Heminger Travel Lodge, Marshall County Courthouse, Plymouth Downtown Historic District, Plymouth Northside Historic District, Plymouth Southside  Historic District, and Plymouth Fire Station are listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Economy. As the center of commerce for Marshall County, Plymouth provides a large percentage of jobs in the manufacturing, retail, and service sectors. Major manufacturing employers include Hoosier Racing Tire, Zentis, Pregis Innovative Packaging, and the Maax Corporation. Seven U.S. manufacturing headquarters are located in Plymouth: American Containers, Inc., Arrow Services, Inc., Indiana Tool & Manufacturing, Co. Inc (ITAMCO) U.S. Granules Corp., Wiers Manufacturing, Inc. and Zentis North America, LLC. Parks and recreation. Centennial Park. Plymouth is home to nine parks. Centennial Park is the largest  park in Plymouth. It is equipped with a swimming pool, lighted baseball and softball diamonds, lighted basketball courts, lighted tennis courts, sand volleyball courts, shuffleboard, horseshoes, a skate park, and multiple playgrounds. The large wooden castle playground was built in 1993. Another smaller, metal playground with swings and a climbing wall is a part of Centennial Park as well. Centennial Park also includes a dog park and a Greenway Trail that connects several parks. Blueberry Festival. Each year over Labor Day weekend, Centennial Park is host to the Marshall County Blueberry Festival. The Blueberry Festival is Indiana's 3rd largest  festival by attendance and has been named a "Top 100 Event" in North American by the American Bus Association three times. Over 300 craft vendors and 100 food vendors from all across the United States showcase their goods. The festival also includes the Hoosier Old Wheels Antique Car Show, the Blueberry Stomp 5K/15K run, Bicycle Cruise, hot air balloon launches, a parade, and fireworks display. There are several sporting events, and three stages with free entertainment for festival goers. For a small fee, festival goers can play carnival games and ride carnival rides. River Park Square. River Park Square  is located downtown and is the newest park in the city, opening in 2014. River Park Square consists of a stage, tiered seating, a splash pad, and a concession and bathroom building. It is home to Plymouth's Saturday Farmer's Market, the Yellow River Festival, the Latino Festival, and Mayor's Month of Music on Friday's in August. The Farmer's Market takes place every Saturday morning from May to October. Packard's Woods. Packard's Wood Park also has athletic facilities and offers an all-inclusive play center called Freedom Park. Magnetic Park contains a playground, a  fishing pond, and a gazebo with a fountain as well as the Conservation Clubhouse, which is able to be rented out for events. Points of interest. The town has a lending library, the Plymouth Public Library. The library, located on North Center Street, has worked hard to be useful for all different groups and individuals. According to the Plymouth Public Library website, “The Library's broad purpose, based upon provisions in the Indiana Code, is fulfilling ‘the educational informational, and recreational interests and needs of the public.'"