Jim Thorpe, PA

Jim Thorpe – Mauch Chunk Gets A New Name and Olympic Champion

Jim Thorpe, the county seat of Carbon County, PA.   Jim Thorpe has been called the “Switzerland of America” due to the picturesque scenery, mountainous location, and architecture that was built mainly by immigrants with a fondness for the homes they left in Europe. Jim Thorpe has also been referred to as the  “Gateway to the Poconos.”

Jim Thorpe, Pennsylvania was originally founded as the town of Mauch Chunk, derived from the phrase “sleeping bear” in the language of the native Lenni Lenape people, which described the local mountains which resembled a sleeping bear,  in 1818 by the Lehigh Coal & Navigation Company. Mauch Chunk quickly turned into a railroad and coal-shipping center, and was home to the Mauch Chunk Switchback Gravity Railroad.

The town later gained some notoriety as the location of the trial of the Molly Maguires in 1876, which resulted in the hanging of four men found guilty of murder.

Following the 1953 death of renowned athlete and Olympic medal winner Jim Thorpe, the boroughs of Mauch Chunk and East Mauch Chunk struck a deal with Jim Thorpe’s widow (his third marriage) to purchase his remains. Jim Thorpe, the athlete, had died of a heart attack, was an alcoholic, and had passed on impoverished, leaving his wife little means for a proper burial befitting a man once hailed by Sweden’s King as, “The Greatest Athlete in the world.” Though Jim Thorpe had never set foot in Mauch Chunk, Oklahoma’s refusal to create a memorial to their own native son, convinced his widow that her husbands remains would rest in Pennsylvania.

Though Mauch Chunk likely saw potential in the aquisition as a marketing tool, other than publicizing that his remains rest in Jim Thorpe, the town, they did not make a circus of his remains. Jim Thorpe rests outside the main area of town on a plot of land that has numerous memorials that display his achievements. Mauch Chunk and East Mauch Chunk merged and voted in two referendums to change their name to Jim Thorpe.

The history of Jim Thorpe, the town, is evident in the architecture that makes up its many 19th century styles. For many years much of it was covered over by aluminum siding and other materials, but most of that has been removed to bring back the “roots” of it’s heritage. Doing so has done much to help tourism, on which the town thrives after many years of economic difficulties during the decline of the coal industry in the region.

Jim Thorpe benefits from tourism initially spurred on by the celebration of its old architecture, which has developed new industries and modern creations. Two of these relative newcomers to the Jim Thorpe area are paintball and white water rafting. Both benefiting from the rural location only 3 miles from the Lehigh River.

In general, Jim Thorpe does much to promote itself with festivals, railroad tours, and the improvements made to the downtown area, which boasts shops along a pleasant avenue. There is also the history of the jailhouse in which the Molly Maguires were hung. The jailhouse still stands, as well as a handprint from one of the condemned men who vowed it would remain as proof of his innocence. All attempts to remove it have failed and it remains to this day in Cell #17.

The majority of Jim Thorpe’s residents are of Irish descent, typified by the connection to the Molly Maguires and large amount of Irish pride seen throughout the town.

In a poll conducted by Budget Travel magazine, Jim Thorpe was recently awarded a top 10 spot on America’s Coolest Small Towns, Circa 2009. Jim Thorpe has achieved a goal of becoming a tourist destination, with many businesses catering to the white water rafting, mountain biking, paintball hiking, and the tourists. Along with these, Jim Thorpe is popular among railroading fans and is known for its extraordinary architecture.

The town is home to the Asa Packer and Harry Packer Mansions. The former was the founder of the Lehigh Valley Railroad and Lehigh University; the latter was Asa’s son. Both mansions sit next to one another on a hill overlooking downtown Jim Thorpe. The Asa Packer Mansion is a museum and has been conducting tours since Memorial Day of 1956. The Harry Packer Mansion is a bed and breakfast.

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