History

Plum Borough, the second largest borough in Pennsylvania, was incorporated as Plum Township in 1788 and reincorporated as Plum Borough in 1956. Since that time, Plum has grown from a population of around 10,000 persons to almost 27,000 persons, according to the 2000 Census, in a largely undeveloped area encompassing 28.6 square miles.

Early settlements and neighborhoods of Plum Borough have developed around natural resources, including coal and natural gas fields, which drove the development patterns of Plum. Coal and natural gas production declined during the latter part of the 20th century, when a changing economy prompted the closing of the last operating coal mine in 1987. During this time, new residential developments arose throughout the community where public water and sanitary sewer service was available. In the 1980's the Plum Municipal Authority took on a large project to provide sanitary Sewer Service to a majority of the Borough. The project opened new land for development, primarily directed at residential uses.

Plum Borough continues to develop as one of the fastest growing municipalities in Pennsylvania. With the development of new residential neighborhoods and the expansion of existing ones, Plum Borough's population will continue to grow into the 21st century. Although the population of Plum Borough is growing rapidly and expected to continue to grow in the future, there is plenty of land available for all purposes including residential, commercial, industrial and agricultural developments.