Larger text
Smaller text
Road Trip: Scenery and history in Jim Thorpe, Pa.
1. The Mauch Chunk Opera House: 14 W. Broadway
2. Jim Thorpe Mausoleum: Highway 903
3. The Harry Packer Mansion: 19 Packer Ave.
4. Lehigh Gorge State Park
5. Old Mauch Chunk Train Station: Packer Park
6. Mauch Chunk Museum: 41 W. Broadway
7. The Old Jail Museum: 128 W. Broadway
Driving directions
About 280 miles
Driving time: 4 hours and 58 minutes
Daily Photo Galleries
Lifestyles Photo Galleries
By William Loeffler
Published: Saturday, September 29, 2012, 9:03 p.m.
Updated: Saturday, September 29, 2012
Few places boast the history, scenery and singular pedigree of Jim Thorpe.
Start with its dramatic topography and lush wooded surroundings. The picturesque Victorian hamlet hunkers down at the foot of a valley carved by the Lehigh River in Carbon County in the eastern part of the state.
From 1850 to 1910, Jim Thorpe was second only to Niagara Falls as a honeymoon destination. A writer for Harper's Weekly dubbed it “The Switzerland of America.”
Back then, it was known as Mauch Chunk (Sleeping Bear). It was renamed Jim Thorpe on May 18, 1954, when the towns of Mauch Chunk and East Mauch Chunk voted to unite and take the name of the Native American and Olympic champion that many consider to be the greatest athlete of the 20th century. Thorpe had died the previous year.
Patricia Thorpe wanted her husband to have a proper resting place. Borough officials hoped the name change and the prestige of being Thorpe's final resting place would help to reverse their declining economic fortunes.
Prior to the name change, however, the town had already distinguished itself as a linchpin of the Industrial Revolution as a transportation center for anthracite coal. Coal and railroad tycoons built mansions; at one time, 70 percent of the nation's millionaires owned residences there.
In addition to museums, railroad memorabilia, outdoor sports, art galleries and upscale restaurants, Jim Thorpe's wooded abundance makes for a spectacular show every autumn, when the leaves seem to catch fire. October is the busiest month, when the town hosts the Fall Foliage Festival on weekends.
Bart Springer, president of the Jim Thorpe Chamber of Commerce, suggests visiting during the week if you know what's good for you. The town, which has a population of about 4,800, receives as many as 20,000 visitors on weekends in October.
Pittsburgh native Burr Beard moved to Jim Thorpe after a career in radio that took him to Virginia and North Carolina. He plays dulcimer for the band Devilish Mary and volunteers at the local chamber of commerce.
“You come down the mountains, and the first thing you get are these four mountains that all come together and the ribbon of the Lehigh River cutting through it.” Beard says.
Jim Thorpe recently came in fourth in the 2012 Best Small Towns in America Contest survey hosted by USA Today and Rand McNally. The town was included in the 100 Best Adventure Towns in a survey by National Geographic.
William Loeffler is a staff writer for Trib Total Media. He can be reached at wloeffler@tribweb.com or 412-320-7986.
Most-Read Stories
- Penguins’ Shero talks with Letang’s agent
- NHL insider: Penguins’ Shero seems ready to move Letang
- Worthington-Kittanning wastes early lead, falls to Prospect
- Pitt adds two more recruits
- Judge deals setback to Steelers’ quest to expand Heinz Field
- Three killed when minivan crashes into tree in Butler County
- Three-time Emmy winner, ‘Sopranos’ star James Gandolfini dead at 51
- Requirements change for Pittsburgh police officers who evaluate potential recruits
- Steelers rookie safety Thomas learning from Polamalu, Clark
- Daily Courier roundup: Connellsville tops Waynesburg in Fayette Legion action
- Gunman in Reserve shooting dies in hospital
You must be signed in to add comments
To comment, click the Sign in or sign up at the very top of this page.
Subscribe today! Click here for our subscription offers.
