Plymouth, Wisconsin

For other places named Plymouth, see Plymouth (disambiguation).

Plymouth, Wisconsin
City
Downtown Plymouth
Location of Plymouth in Sheboygan County, Wisconsin.
Coordinates: 43°44′57″N 87°58′36″W
Country	United States
State	Wisconsin
County	Sheboygan
Area [1]
• Total	5.43 sq mi (14.06 km^2)
• Land	5.35 sq mi (13.85 km^2)
• Water	0.08 sq mi (0.20 km^2)
Elevation [2]	843 ft (257 m)
Population  (2020)[3]
• Total	8,932
• Density	1,600/sq mi (640/km^2)
Time zone	UTC-6 (Central (CST))
• Summer (DST)	UTC-5 (CDT)
Area code	920
FIPS code	55-63700[4]
GNIS feature ID	1571709[2]
State Highways
Website	www.plymouthgov.com

Plymouth is a city in Sheboygan County, Wisconsin, United States, along the Mullet River. The population was 8,932 at the 2020 census.^[3] It is included in the Sheboygan, Wisconsin metropolitan area. The city is located in the Town of Plymouth, but is politically independent. Plymouth was known as "Hub City" for its former role as a center of wooden wheelwrighting.^[6] It is now known as "The Cheese Capitol of the World" as it produces 40% of all the cheese consumed in the United States. Mayor Don Pohlman was last re-elected in April 2018.

History

Plymouth was surveyed in 1835 by United States engineers,^[7] one of whom was named Mullet, and the Mullet river was subsequently named after him.^[8] The first land sold to a private party was sold to an Englishman named John Law who had emigrated from London. It was sold to Law on August 13, 1836. The next sale was to another Englishman, also from London, named Thomas Margrave. Settlers continued trickling in and the town was organized on April 3, 1849.^[9] In the 1840s a group of migrants arrived from Tioga County, Pennsylvania. Their ancestors had moved to that area from New England shortly after the American Revolution. The Thorpe family arrived from Hartford, Connecticut. They were of old New England ancestry. These migrants being the original pool of settlers in Plymouth gave the region cultural continuity with New England.^[10] The town was named Plymouth, after Plymouth, Massachusetts, where the Pilgrims had landed in 1620.^[11]

Originally known by early Native Americans as Quit Qui Oc, or Crooked River,^[12] Plymouth was settled in 1845 by Isaac Thorp^[13] and incorporated in 1877.^[14] The city is often called "Hub City" because of its central location within Sheboygan County, but the nickname "Hub City" began in the 1860s when the Schwartz brothers had a wagon shop where they made wagons, hubs and spokes.

Geography

Plymouth is located at 43°44′57″N 87°58′36″W (43.749277, -87.976799).^[15]
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 5.34 square miles (13.83 km²), of which, 5.26 square miles (13.62 km²) is land and 0.08 square miles (0.21 km²) is water.^[16]

Climate

Climate data for Plymouth Wastewater Treatment Plant, Wisconsin (1991–2020 normals, extremes 1910–present)
Month	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec	Year
Record high °F (°C)	60 (16)	71 (22)	84 (29)	89 (32)	94 (34)	101 (38)	107 (42)	101 (38)	98 (37)	88 (31)	75 (24)	67 (19)	107 (42)
Mean daily maximum °F (°C)	26.3 (−3.2)	29.7 (−1.3)	40.5 (4.7)	53.2 (11.8)	65.5 (18.6)	75.7 (24.3)	80.9 (27.2)	78.6 (25.9)	71.8 (22.1)	58.4 (14.7)	44.1 (6.7)	32.1 (0.1)	54.7 (12.6)
Daily mean °F (°C)	18.9 (−7.3)	21.7 (−5.7)	32.0 (0.0)	43.7 (6.5)	55.5 (13.1)	65.4 (18.6)	70.6 (21.4)	68.7 (20.4)	61.1 (16.2)	48.8 (9.3)	36.3 (2.4)	25.2 (−3.8)	45.7 (7.6)
Mean daily minimum °F (°C)	11.6 (−11.3)	13.7 (−10.2)	23.6 (−4.7)	34.2 (1.2)	45.4 (7.4)	55.1 (12.8)	60.3 (15.7)	58.8 (14.9)	50.5 (10.3)	39.3 (4.1)	28.5 (−1.9)	18.3 (−7.6)	36.6 (2.6)
Record low °F (°C)	−29 (−34)	−27 (−33)	−18 (−28)	8 (−13)	21 (−6)	30 (−1)	39 (4)	36 (2)	25 (−4)	6 (−14)	−7 (−22)	−20 (−29)	−29 (−34)
Average precipitation inches (mm)	1.59 (40)	1.41 (36)	1.97 (50)	3.63 (92)	3.83 (97)	4.22 (107)	3.50 (89)	3.69 (94)	2.81 (71)	2.96 (75)	2.14 (54)	1.82 (46)	33.57 (853)
Average snowfall inches (cm)	12.4 (31)	11.0 (28)	5.9 (15)	2.1 (5.3)	0.2 (0.51)	0.0 (0.0)	0.0 (0.0)	0.0 (0.0)	0.0 (0.0)	0.1 (0.25)	2.3 (5.8)	10.7 (27)	44.7 (114)
Average precipitation days (≥ 0.01 in)	9.3	8.5	8.9	11.0	12.9	11.6	10.8	10.2	9.2	10.8	9.1	8.9	121.2
Average snowy days (≥ 0.1 in)	7.4	6.5	3.6	1.3	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.1	2.0	6.2	27.1
Source: NOAA[17][18]

Demographics

Historical population

Census	Pop.	Note	%±
1880	1,052		—
1890	1,503		42.9%
1900	2,257		50.2%
1910	3,094		37.1%
1920	3,415		10.4%
1930	3,882		13.7%
1940	4,170		7.4%
1950	4,543		8.9%
1960	5,128		12.9%
1970	5,810		13.3%
1980	6,027		3.7%
1990	6,769		12.3%
2000	7,781		15.0%
2010	8,445		8.5%
2020	8,932		5.8%
U.S. Decennial Census[19] [3]

Plymouth city, Wisconsin – Racial and ethnic composition
Note: the US Census treats Hispanic/Latino as an ethnic category. This table excludes Latinos from the racial categories and assigns them to a separate category. Hispanics/Latinos may be of any race.

Race / Ethnicity (NH = Non-Hispanic)	Pop 2000[20]	Pop 2010[21]	Pop 2020[22]	% 2000	% 2010	% 2020
White alone (NH)	7,600	8,027	8,175	97.67%	95.05%	91.52%
Black or African American alone (NH)	14	31	65	0.18%	0.37%	0.73%
Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH)	17	33	30	0.22%	0.39%	0.34%
Asian alone (NH)	31	61	114	0.40%	0.72%	1.28%
Pacific Islander alone (NH)	0	0	2	0.00%	0.00%	0.02%
Other race alone (NH)	0	1	36	0.00%	0.01%	0.40%
Mixed race or Multiracial (NH)	33	87	234	0.42%	1.03%	2.62%
Hispanic or Latino (any race)	86	205	276	1.11%	2.43%	3.09%
Total	7,781	8,445	8,932	100.00%	100.00%	100.00%

2020 census

As of the census^[23] of 2020, there were 8,932 people, 4,011 households. The population density was 1,644.9 inhabitants per square mile (635.3/km?). There were 4,251 housing units at an average density of 782.9 per square mile (302.3/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 95.4% White, 1.0% Black or African American, 0.0% American Indian and Alaskan Native, 0.6% Asian, 2.8% Two or more races, 2.2% Hispanic or Latino.

2010 census

As of the census^[24] of 2010, there were 8,445 people, 3,710 households, and 2,253 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,605.5 inhabitants per square mile (619.9/km²). There were 4,039 housing units at an average density of 767.9 per square mile (296.5/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 96.2% White, 0.4% African American, 0.4% Native American, 0.7% Asian, 0.9% from other races, and 1.4% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.4% of the population.

There were 3,710 households, of which 29.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 48.4% were married couples living together, 9.2% had a female householder with no husband present, 3.2% had a male householder with no wife present, and 39.3% were non-families. 33.7% of all households were made up of individuals, and 15.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.26 and the average family size was 2.91.

The median age in the city was 40.8 years. 24.2% of residents were under the age of 18; 6.3% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 24.9% were from 25 to 44; 27.3% were from 45 to 64; and 17.3% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 47.6% male and 52.4% female.

2000 census

As of 2000 the median age in the city was 40.8 years. 24.2% of residents were under the age of 18; 6.3% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 24.9% were from 25 to 44; 27.3% were from 45 to 64; and 17.3% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 47.6% male and 52.4% female.

German community

Plymouth is known for its large ethnic German population comprising roughly 55% of the population. Per the 2023 American Community Survey five-year estimates, the German American population was 5,006.^[25]

Economy

Sargento is one of Plymouth's largest employers

Plymouth, Wisconsin has a long history in the cheese industry. Once the site of the National Cheese Exchange where cheese commodity prices were set, it now claims the mantle "Cheese Capital of the World" and is home to four major cheese processing facilities:

• Sargento
• Masters Gallery
• Sartori
• Great Lakes Cheese

Plymouth has a historic downtown district, which promotes a mix of retail, office and service uses. The main traffic artery through the city runs through downtown, resulting in a vibrant area lined with unique shops, eateries and boutiques. The downtown also offers a pedestrian network connecting neighborhoods, schools, parks and commercial areas.

Tourism is an important industry for Plymouth, which hosts visitors to events all over Sheboygan County.^[26] With an abundance of parks, citywide events, easy access to the Kettle Moraine National Forest and ski hills, Plymouth is an attractive destination for tourists from all over the country. See recreational opportunities below.

Plymouth is developing its third business park in partnership with the Plymouth Industrial Development Corporation.^[27] The new park, east of the city limits, will offer rail access, improved lots from 1 to 25 acres in size and loan and incentive programs through the county. It will join existing parks on the north and south sides of the city. With the Sheboygan County Economic Development Corporation, Plymouth actively works to recruit established businesses and startups to locate in the city.

With more than 300 member business in Sheboygan County, the Plymouth Chamber of Commerce's mission is to promote local businesses and attract new ventures to the community. The chamber works closely with the Sheboygan County Economic Development Corporation, especially in the promotion of the county's Someplace Better initiative to bring families into Sheboygan County,^[28] along with the Sheboygan County Chamber of Commerce.

Arts and culture

Hotel Laack in downtown Plymouth

Made of fiberglass and standing 20 feet (6.1 m) tall, the statue of Antoinette the cow is a local landmark that honors the area's legacy of dairy production. She was erected in 1977, on the spot where the Wisconsin Cheese Exchange was located in the late 19th century, as part of the city's Centennial celebration. She's named after Jack Anton, who led the effort to put up the statue for the celebration.^[29]

The nationally acclaimed,Sartori Big Cheese Drop, is presented every year on New Year's Eve. Plymouth Arts Center initiated this popular NYE event in 2007 to pay tribute to Plymouth’s cheese heritage and its thriving industry that still exists today.

Murals were painted on downtown buildings during two special events by a group of muralists called the Walldogs. Over 25 murals depict scenes of Plymouth's History.

Parks and recreation

The Plymouth Aquatic Center in City Park

Located east of the Kettle Moraine State Forest, Plymouth is a recreational destination.^{[citation needed]} The city has 17 parks that offer recreational opportunities that include baseball (Plymouth Youth Athletic Association]), soccer (Plymouth Soccer Club), frisbee-golf, biking, swimming (Plymouth Aquatic Center), tennis, nature walks and more.

Plymouth offers a self-guided walking tour of historic downtown, which includes more than 50 historically significant homes, businesses and buildings, two of which are listed on national Register of Historic Places.

Free concerts are held every Thursday night during the summer at Plymouth City Park, located at Highway 67 and Grove Street. In addition, the Plymouth Arts Center hosts a variety of musical and theatre performances throughout the year.

The Sheboygan County Fair is held every year on Labor Day weekend at Sheboygan County Fair Park in Plymouth.

Festivals in the Plymouth area include the Cheese Festival in early June, the PAC's Cheese Capital Jazz and Blues Crawl for the Arts Fundraiser in August, the Mill Street Festival in July, Road America races and special events and a Holiday Gathering Christmas Parade.

Evergreen Golf Course is a 9-hole course located in Plymouth.

Plymouth Dirt Track Racing runs all summer at Sheboygan County Fair Park

The Plymouth Aquatic Center at City Park is a zero-depth-entry pool with waterslides, a sand play area and concessions.

Plymouth High School's indoor pool is open to the community during open swim times.

Downhill skiing is available at Nutt Hill in Plymouth, which opens once there is 10 inches of snow on the ground.

Education

The Plymouth Joint School District serves the communities of Plymouth and nearby Cascade.^[30] It has three elementary schools, one middle school, and one high school. The Plymouth Joint School District is supported by the Plymouth Education Foundation,^[31] which provides scholarships, honors successful teachers, and raises funds for facility improvements. There are three neighborhood elementary schools within the Plymouth Joint School District, as well as Riverview Middle School and Plymouth High School.^[32] Plymouth High School has an enrollment of approximately 800 students and 53 full-time teachers.^[33][34]

St. John the Baptist Catholic School and St. John Lutheran School serve children in 3-K through eighth grade.

Transportation

Plymouth is located along State Highways 57, 67 and 23. Rail access is provided by the Wisconsin and Southern Railway Company (WSOR). Sheboygan County Memorial Airport (KSBM) is seven miles away. Plymouth is located less than an hour drive from Milwaukee and Green Bay.

A single-track railroad branch line between Plymouth and Sheboygan runs through the city. Built by the Chicago & North Western (C&NW) Railroad, the track originally paralleled the electric interurban Wisconsin Power & Light line, which terminated at Elkhart Lake. In later years it was primarily a freight line for the Chicago and North Western Transportation Company, and Union Pacific after Union Pacific acquired the C&NW in 1995. In 2006, citing low demand and degraded infrastructure, Union Pacific announced plans to abandon the line west of the Kohler Company factory in Kohler, thus terminating all service to Sheboygan Falls.^[35] In 2009, the Wisconsin Department of Transportation purchased the Plymouth-Sheboygan Falls portion of the line from Union Pacific,^[36] with the intent of repairing the long dormant line to allow the Wisconsin & Southern Railroad to provide restored service to Plymouth by 2015.

Plymouth is served by the Sheboygan County Memorial Airport (KSBM), which is located several miles east of the city. SKBM is the seventh-busiest airport in Wisconsin with no commercial travel. The 700+ daily flight operations are primarily business travel. SKBM is capable of landing a 98,000 lbs. aircraft or a Boeing 737 with the longest concrete runway 6,800 feet long, longer than a mile. The airport has fixed base operator with several private, industrial and commercial lots available for development.

Utilities

Electrical, water and sewerage service is provided by the municipally-owned Plymouth Utilities, while natural gas service is from Wisconsin Public Service.

For communications, Frontier Communications provides landline telephone service along with broadband DSL services and maintains a central office downtown, while Spectrum is the city's cable provider.

Notable people

• Daniel P. Anderson, Presiding Judge of the Wisconsin Court of Appeals
• Vera Eugenia Andrus, artist and printmaker
• Theodore Benfey, Wisconsin State Senator
• Bill B. Bruhy, Wisconsin State Representative and Mayor of Plymouth^[37]
• Tony Evers, current Governor of Wisconsin and former Superintendent of Public Instruction
• Emil Fischer, Green Bay Packers President 1948-1952
• Val Heim, baseball player
• Beau Hoopman, United States Olympic Rower
• Frederick W. Krez, Wisconsin State Representative
• Edwin J. Larson, Wisconsin State Representative
• Walt Lautenbach, basketball player
• Major C. Mead, Wisconsin State Senator
• Bill Prietzel, racing driver
• Otto Puhlman, Wisconsin State Representative
• Patrick Henry Smith, Wisconsin State Senator
• Tyler Vorpagel, Wisconsin State Representative
• Allen F. Warden, Wisconsin State Representative

References

1. "2019 U.S. Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved August 7, 2020.
2. "US Board on Geographic Names". United States Geological Survey. October 25, 2007. Retrieved January 31, 2008.
3. "QuickFacts: Plymouth city, Wisconsin". census.gov. Retrieved September 17, 2020.
4. "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved January 31, 2008.
5. "Population and Housing Unit Estimates". United States Census Bureau. May 24, 2020. Retrieved May 27, 2020.
6. "History". City of Plymouth Website. Retrieved June 26, 2016.
7. "History of Plymouth, Wisconsin - Plymouth Historical Society". www.plymouthhistoricalsociety.com. Retrieved September 16, 2016.
8. Group, Genealogy Trails History. "History of the Towns and Villages of Sheboygan County, Wisconsin". genealogytrails.com. Retrieved September 16, 2016. {{cite web}}: |last= has generic name (help)
9. Carl Zillier. History of Sheboygan County, Wisconsin, Past and Present, vol. 1, p. 325.
10. Zillier, pp. 326-327.
11. Jennifer L. Herman. Wisconsin Encyclopedia. p. 451.
12. "Plymouth Wisconsin Chamber of Commerce, Plymouth Wisconsin Travel and Tourism Info". plymouthwisconsin.com. Archived from the original on August 26, 2016. Retrieved October 26, 2016.
13. "History of Plymouth, Wisconsin - Plymouth Historical Society". www.plymouthhistoricalsociety.com. Retrieved October 26, 2016.
14. "History". www.ciplywi.com. Retrieved October 26, 2016.
15. "US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990". United States Census Bureau. February 12, 2011. Retrieved April 23, 2011.
16. "US Gazetteer files 2010". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on January 25, 2012. Retrieved November 18, 2012.
17. "NOWData - NOAA Online Weather Data". National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Retrieved March 28, 2024.
18. "Summary of Monthly Normals 1991-2020". National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Retrieved March 28, 2024.
19. "Census of Population and Housing". Census.gov. Retrieved June 4, 2015.
20. "P004: Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2000: DEC Summary File 1 – Plymouth city, Wisconsin". United States Census Bureau.
21. "P2: Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2010: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) – Plymouth city, Wisconsin". United States Census Bureau.
22. "P2: Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2020: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) – Plymouth city, Wisconsin". United States Census Bureau.
23. "Explore Census Data". data.census.gov. Retrieved March 26, 2024.
24. "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved November 18, 2012.
25. "B04006 People Reporting Ancestry – Plymouth, Wisconsin – 2023 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates". U.S. Census Bureau. July 1, 2023. Retrieved December 13, 2024.
26. "Plymouth Wisconsin Chamber of Commerce, Plymouth Wisconsin Travel and Tourism Info". plymouthwisconsin.com. Retrieved November 1, 2016.
27. "Established Business Parks". Sheboygan County Economic Development Corporation. Retrieved November 1, 2016.
28. "Someplace Better".
29. "Wisconsin Historical Markers: Antoinette (The Cow Statue)". Wisconsin Historical Markers. Retrieved November 1, 2016.
30. "Plymouth School District". www.plymouth.k12.wi.us. Archived from the original on September 13, 2016. Retrieved September 15, 2016.
31. "Plymouth Education Foundation". www.plymouth.k12.wi.us. Retrieved September 15, 2016.
32. "Plymouth K-8 Responsive Education". Plymouth K-8 Responsive Education. Retrieved September 15, 2016.
33. Instruction, Wisconsin Department of Public. "WISEdash Public Portal". WISEdash. Retrieved September 15, 2016.
34. "Plymouth High School - Plymouth School District". www.plymouth.k12.wi.us. Archived from the original on September 13, 2016. Retrieved September 15, 2016.
35. "Plymouth-Kohler Rail Corridor Economic Impact Analysis" (PDF).
36. "Wisconsin & Southern Railroad Company―Acquisition and Operation Exemption-Union Pacific Railroad Company". Federal Register. April 24, 2009. Retrieved November 1, 2016.
37. 'Wisconsin Blue Book 1973,' Biographical Sketch of Bill B. Bruhy, pg. 61

External links

• City of Plymouth
• Plymouth Chamber of Commerce
• Plymouth Arts Center
• Sanborn fire insurance maps: 1887 1903 1910