Jim Thorpe: NEPA's most beautiful town? (Penn: renting, house, school)

[W-B proud]

I took a motorcycle ride though Jim Thorpe last week. I've been though there a few times, and I can't get over what a beautiful town it is. I've seen other post about what our NEPA towns and cities should strive to be, well Jim Thorpe is my pick, It's just a beatiful town, packed with tourist (they do it right, and know how to "sell" the assets of thier town to outsiders) train rides, white water rafting, historic places, trendy restaraunts and art galleries ect. I found thier web page. If you've never been there, then take a look: www.jimthorpe.org Enjoy!

[Go Ne]

Just out of curiosity......... why is Jim Thorpe named Jim Thorpe?

[Southwb]

Because in the fifties when Jim Thrope was Mauch Chunk the people there bought his dead body from his widow to bring fame to their town. and that is the truth.

[ScranBarre]

You're far too young to remember, but Jim Thorpe was a tremendous athlete who is now buried on the outskirts of town. I took photos of his burial site and surrounding beautiful grotto in my http://www.city-data.com/forum/lehig...hoto-tour.html
. The town used to be named "Mauch Chunk" until the town elders agreed to change the name in exchange for the privilege of having the notable athlete buried there. Supposedly there was a squabble where some of his descendants from the Great Plains sought to have his remains unearthed and reburied out in either Nebraska or Kansas, but I don't know the results of that legal battle. Unfortunately we don't have any Jim Thorpe members on here (besides newcomer Acevaz), so that may just remain a mystery. I think member Dawne grew up in Jim Thorpe though, so perhaps she knows the answer?

[Go Ne]

Weird.............

Edit: yes! Nebraska steals another thing from an unsuspecting state!

[ScranBarre]

Originally Posted by Go Ne

Weird.............

Edit: yes! Nebraska steals another thing from an unsuspecting state!

...yeah...it's not like we're as "normal" as the folks in Omaha who brag about a PEDESTRIAN BRIDGE as a tourist attraction!

[Go Ne]

Oh its almost done, in September or October.

[shymonkey]

i've been to jim thorpe twice. once with my son to see "the jai" and other time for the st patricks day parade. wonderful experiences both times. saw where they took the diner out but i can't remember if they moved it somewhere..tore it down...if they are putting something else there or what. guess i should probably check out the link you posted.

[Dawne]

Everything said about how the town of Jim Thorpe got its name is correct. There was an uproar some years back (maybe 20 or so years ago) because some people wanted to change the name back to Mauch Chunk. Along with Jim Thorpe's body, the town was promised a library, a hospital and other things that never came about, so some people wanted to get rid of "the dead Indian" and change the name back.

My mom grew up on one side of the river (the side with Jim Thorpe's mausoleum) and my dad grew up in the house directly across from the old jail on the other side of the river. My grandmother was the cook at the old jail. One side of the river was called Mauch Chunk and the other side was East Mauch Chunk. I can't remember which was which. My parents told me numerous times, but I always forget.

I laugh when I hear people say how beautiful the town is. I DO agree that it is a beautiful town, and it has always billed itself as "The Switzerland of Pennsylvania", but it used to be just a coal mining town with no tourist interest at all except for the Asa Packer Mansion. Asa Packer was a coal mining and railroad magnate and his house is beautiful. Many people who grew up there couldn't wait to get away to something better.

Then the old train station was converted to a bank and museum, they started giving train rides, and began touting themselves as a gateway to the Poconos, renting mountain bikes, emphasizing the river gorge, opening craft shops, and before you know it, people are moving there in droves while the locals, who had been trying to get away for most of their lives, are shaking their heads in wonderment!

The diner was removed with a police escort, and taken up the Broad Mountain (using both lanes) and I believe transported to somewhere in Ohio. I saw my aunt recently, and she was telling me about it (she gets the local paper mailed to her where she now lives in Woodbridge, VA). She knows of no plans for the site yet, but I don't imagine they'll let it sit empty for long. I believe I was in the diner once. My aunt said they used to go there for burgers and shakes after the school dances.

[Summering]

Funny, I was just down in Jim Thorpe today.
I did write the whole big history of Jim Thorpe a long while ago on City Date ( I'm sure it was on CD) ........
I found the story to be so interesting.
Also an interesting story is on the Mauch Chunk train...........now that is true and such great history too! Summering LOVES history.( So did my dad and brother....I get it honest)