Sheboygan Press April 29, 1927 Plymouth 3 ORIGINALLY PLATTED ON EIGHTY ACRES AND NAMED QUITQUIOC AS A VILLAGE The earliest history relating to the settlement and subsequent development of the town of Plymouth centers in and near the present city of Plymouth. It was there that the first sawmill, grist and flouring mills, stores, schools, churches and other industries and buildings were started. Beginning with the year 1846, there was a steady influx of settlers, some coming from eastern states and many emigrants from Germany. The development of the rural district, therefore, kept pace with the growth of the village of Plymouth, and the equal division of urban and interurban population tended to foster a co-operative spirit which added to the prosperity of all the early settlers in the town. >From its earliest settlement, Plymouth has been a literary center and noted for its social activities. The first debating society gathered at the Cold Springs tavern in 1847 and. seated around a carpenter's work bench, discussed the important happenings of the time. Henry I. DAVIDSON and his son, Thomas P., brought an air of eastern refinement into the community and it was due mainly to their intellectual attainments that the tavern became the center of literary contests and the hub around which revolved the social activity of the village. The real interest, therefore, of the town of Plymouth will be found in reviewing the history of that community, and the effect which the refining influence of the intellectual life of the village exercised over the entire rural district of the township, as well as extending far beyond the borders of the town. CITY STARTED ON 80 ACRES The original plat of Plymouth comprised eighty acres, owned and platted by John W. TAYLOR and Horatio SMITH in 1848. Three years later Quitquioc was platted by Martin M. FLINT as a separate town, but by act of the state legislature, in 1852, the name was changed from Quitquioc to Plymouth. It was organized under city government in 1877, and since then the charter has been amended several times and the limits of the city extended. The city of Plymouth is pleasantly located in the valley of the MULLET river, at the junction of the Fond du Lac division of the Chicago & North-Western and the former Chicago, Milwaukee and St. Paul railways. The first log schoolhouse was erected in 1847 and taught by Mr. BABCOCK of Minneapolis. This log house was located on what is now Main street, directly east of the brewery. Later it was replaced by a frame building in which Mrs. E. CLARK and her daughter, Mary, resided for many years. The second teacher was Miss Plantina STONE, who later became the wife of S. AIKIN of Winooski. J. W. TAYLOR went to Winooski on horseback for her, walking back to Plymouth while Miss Stone rode the horse. The Quitquioc school house was erected later, and until the school district was consolidated, stood near the east limits of the present city, on what is now known as Eastern avenue. The first grading of the joint district school was done by Miss Eliza GRAVES, in October, 1867. A. F. WARDEN came in 1873 and taught with great success for two years when he bought the Reporter of C. A. WELLS, which newspaper he owned and published for a number of years. In 1877 he was married to Miss Mamie EASTMAN. Mr. WARDEN was succeeded as teacher by W. J. BRIER who, in 1877, succeeded in getting the first high school of Plymouth, receiving the first state aid. The first class to graduate in this school, in 1879, included C. D. EASTMAN, M.C. MEAD, Amasa BURTON, Charles MAYNARD, William BRADFORD, and Larady ROBINSON. In 1893 a new one-story frame grade school house was built, which was replaced by a two-story building in 1903. In 1904 the high school containing nine rooms was completed. METHODIST CHURCH NOW SCHOOL At the present time, in addition to a large modern grade and high school, the city supports another school building in which two lower grades are taught. The latter building stands south of the school campus on the lot where the Methodist church formerly stood. This congregation disbanded in the late '70's, after which the property changed owners several times before being bought by Henry C. LAACK. After Mr. LAACK had acquired the property, he had the church building moved to the south end of the lot where it was converted into a storage house for automobiles. The building was later destroyed by fire. Mr. LAACK erected a fine two-story brick residence on the lot where the Methodist church stood, which he and his family occupied for a number of years. Later the school district purchased the property and remodeled the lower floor suitable for school purposes. A man named BEHNKE, for many years, conducted a bakery next door west of the old church building. Joint school district No. 8, which included the city of Plymouth and part of the township of Plymouth, at the last school census had an enrollment of 1,120 pupils, while the two district and three joint district schools in the town had an enrollment of 459 pupils, making an aggregate enrollment in the entire township of 1,579 pupils. The first tri-weekly newspaper was started in 1853. The first tailor was J. T. MOXLEY and the second was the father of G. W. ZERLER. The first doctor was A. S. DOOLITTLE, and the first doctress was "Grandma" THORPE, who came to the village in 1845. The first lawyer was Mr. SEARLES. The first street car to run in Plymouth was on July 1, 1903, but ran for only a few months through the city to hold a franchise. The first railroad was the Chicago & North Western, which was completed through the village in 1859. TELEPHONE SERVICE IN 1894 The first telephone system was installed in 1894. About twenty subscribers bought instruments at $25 each and paid a service charge of 25 cents a month additional. Two years later the company was organized with George HUSON, president; Carl CORBETT, treasurer; F. DERRWALD, secretary. On December 19, 1900, the company was re-organized with 444 stockholders at $25 a share. Charles PFEIFER was elected president and served in this capacity until May, 1926, at which time the system was taken over by the Wisconsin State Telephone association. The first sawmill was started by Henry I. DAVIDSON on July 1, 1848. The second sawmill was built and operated by George BARKER, and was located on the present site of the waterworks plant. After the Civil war, the mill was burned and William SCHWARTZ bought the land and erected the Central Flour Mills upon the site. The first musical society was formed in August, 1856, with a membership of eight. The Turnverein was formed in August, 1856, but soon died out for lack of interest. In May, 1870, another organization was admitted to the grand lodge of Turners. A hall was erected and used by the society until it was bought by joint school district No. 8. The high school now stands upon the site originally occupied by the Turner hall.