Plymouth History in Brief:

The first settlers, Allen and William Tibbits among them, arrived in this area in 1824, and by 1825, there were enough people here to make up a small settlement.
George Starkweather was the first child born in Plymouth Township in February 1826.
The name Plymouth was suggested by William Bartow, the first Township Supervisor, since many of the original settlers had ancestors who lived near Plymouth Rock in Massachusetts.
The first schoolhouse was built in 1830.
The village of Plymouth was incorporated in 1867.
In 1882 the Plymouth Iron Windmill Company was organized. This later became the Daisy Air Rifle Company.
In 1918 Plymouth became a home rule village.

For a more complete history, please see the City of Plymouth's Web Site.

Materials Relating to Plymouth History

The Plymouth District Library Maintains:

Plymouth Mail/Observer Newspaper, 1887 - present (indexed 1887 - 1907 on paper)
Microfilm of the Community Crier Newspaper from Feb. 1974 - December 30, 1992. 1993 - 1998 is on CD-ROM.
Riverside Cemetery burial records on microfilm and in print (years vary)
Plymouth High School Year Books (years vary)
Prints from the Charles Draper Photograph Collection (Historical Museum has originals)
Prints from the John Gaffield Photograph Collection (Historical Museum has originals)
Plymouth City Directories (1933, 1946, 1953, 1968, and 1979)
Vertical File Materials on Plymouth History and Businesses
Historic Plat Maps of Wayne County (reproductions)

The Plymouth Historical Museum Maintains:

Plymouth births from 1906 to 1960
Plymouth deaths from 1907 to 1974
Schrader Funeral Home Records 1901-1928
Assessment Rolls of the Village of Plymouth from 1879
Land Abstracts (years vary)
Mortgage surveys (years vary)
City Directories, 1927 - 1974
Plymouth high school yearbooks, 1913 - present
Plymouth Mail/Observer Newspaper, 1887 - 1954
For a more detailed look at their holdings, see Museum's Archive Web Page

Local History from our surrounding communities

Canton Historical Society - Gives a brief history of Canton on their home page.

Esek Pray Trail - Driving Tour of 19th and 20th Century Settlements and Farms in Washtenaw County, Michigan. Route covers Ann Arbor Road and Plymouth Road in Salem and Superior Townships.

Northville Historical Society - Find out the history of Mill Race Village and their calendar of events.

Northville Library - Local History and Genealogy Index - Searchable index of their local newspaper and other historical materials. (Northville was part of Plymouth until 1898.)

Greenmead Village - Listing of the various buildings at Greenmead Village in Livonia, MI and their history.

Michigan One-Room Schools - Interesting web exhibit on one-room schools that features architecture, students, teachers, and a bibliography - from the Clarke Historical Library at Central Michigan University.

images from the archives of the Plymouth Historical Museum