Our first Club Y.E.S. contributor is Aneesh Sakrahalli, whose article below explores business development in Plymouth.

The economical development of Plymouth is rooted throughout different ages of time and motifs that pictures the city as unique. Plymouth can be traced back to the pre-Colombian period, 1400-1500 AD; the original inhabitants were the Dakota, and they lived at the north end of Medicine Lake. Primarily, they worked together in fulfilling needs in their society. However, they traded with British fur companies for guns and other manufactured goods in exchange for beaver pelts, bison robes, and many more at British trading posts. After Plymouth began as a town in 1855, the northwest shores of Parkers Lake aided in the development of gristmill and other structures. Gristmills are structures that grind cereal grain into flour and middlings. This resulted in the manufacturing of our which was often sold to bigger companies. Following the Treaty of Traverse des Sioux that was signed, all the land west of Mississippi was opened for settlement. As a result, people rushed to Plymouth to claim homestead. Most people there farmed as a living and sold their produce in markets near Minneapolis.

The Farmers Home Hotel was built in the 1860s, which provided jobs to local people in Plymouth. The railroad was also very important because it transported goods to local people which helped spur the local economy. The Mission City Farm helped people who were convicted of a crime to gain skills in order to be successful.

In the 1950s, the Schiebe family owned a hotel and a shopping center which resulted in it being one of the primary commercial areas in Plymouth. Curtis Carlson established the Minneapolis Industrial Park which attracted businesses into Plymouth, particularly manufacturing. Former Mayor Al Hilde installed a sewer system which prompted major private residential development. He also envisioned a downtown Plymouth designed to spark commercial development which is where City Hall is today. During the 1990s, many medical companies came into Plymouth which resulted in medical technology across Plymouth. In fact, there are more than 130 med tech companies in Plymouth. Today, Plymouth is moving toward a model of new development through recycling land, buildings, or areas in order to grow the city. Additionally, manufacturing remains the most popular industry in Plymouth.