[3] The municipality is the birthplace of Chicago White Sox hall of famer Ed Walsh and John J. Yeosock, a United States Army general who commanded the 3rd U.S. Army during Operation Desert Shield and Operation Desert Storm.

Modern-day Plains Township was originally owned and occupied by the Wanami tribe of the Delaware Native Americans.

Jacob was the tribe’s leader; he lived on level ground adjacent to the Susquehanna River (near the modern-day City of Wilkes-Barre).

This resulted in a deadly fire which claimed the life of the Delaware chieftain (Teedyuscung).

The Iroquois charged the colonists with the crime, and the aggrieved Delaware were determined to resolve the matter.

Twenty or thirty were killed, several were taken prisoner, and those who were not captured fled to the mountains; they had no other choice but to return to New England.

The Connecticut settlers, who learned of the Pennamite occupation of the area, returned in the spring of 1769.

Industry, which included manufacturing and coal mining, drew thousands of immigrants (mostly from Europe) to the region.

Consumers were gradually switching from coal to other forms of energy (e.g., oil, gas, and electricity).

In the following months, two of the area's largest coal companies announced a full withdrawal from the anthracite business.

It extends from the Susquehanna River in the northwest to the north slope of Wyoming Mountain in the southeast.

Its villages include Hilldale, Hudson, Llewellyn Corners (also in Bear Creek Township), Midvale, Plains, Plainsville, Port Bowkley, and Westminster.

The township has a humid continental climate (Dfa/Dfb) and average monthly temperatures in the village of Plains range from 26.6 °F in January to 72.4 °F in July.

PRISM Climate Group at Oregon State University As of the census[7] of 2000, there were 10,906 people, 4,556 households, and 2,870 families residing in the township.