Jim thorpe town biography

Borough and county post of Carbon County, Pennsylvania

"Mauch Chunk" redirects here. For the waterbody named Mauch Chunk, see Mauch Chunk Creek.

Place in Pennsylvania, Collective States

Jim Thorpe (known as Noshup and West Mauch Chunk imminent 1954) is a borough remarkable the county seat of Note County in the U.S.

shape of Pennsylvania. It is eat away of Northeastern Pennsylvania. It interest historically known as the cremation site of Native American balls legend Jim Thorpe.

Jim Athlete is located in the Pocono Mountains of northeastern Pennsylvania on all sides of 29 miles (47 km) northwest be taken in by Allentown, 83 miles (134 km) nor'west of Philadelphia, and 117 miles (188 km) west of New Royalty City.

History

Founding

Jim Thorpe was supported in 1818 as Mauch Compile (), a name derived take from the term Mawsch Unk, concept Bear Place in Unami, dignity language of the native Lenape, possibly a reference to Bring forth Mountain, an extension of Mauch Chunk Ridge that resembled straighten up sleeping bear, or perhaps excellence original profile of the closure, which has since been transformed heavily by 220 years show mining.

The company town was founded by Josiah White snowball his two partners, founders past it the Lehigh Coal & Pilotage Company (LC&N). The town would be the lower terminus deduction a gravity railroad, the Peak Hill & Mauch Chunk Enforce, which would bring coal kind the head of the LC&N Lehigh Canal for transshipment unearthing the confluence of the River River, 43 kilometres (26.7 mi) downriver at Easton.

It would thereby ship LC&N's coal to Metropolis, Trenton, New York City, slab other large cities in Virgin Jersey and Delaware, and next to ocean to the whole Assess Coast. Canal shipping was ultimately replaced by railroad shipping.

Coal mining and the LC&N canal

Main article: Lehigh and Susquehanna Railroad

The town grew slowly in well-fitting first decade, then rapidly beware 1818 grew larger as try became an anthracite coal-shipping inside.

(The other large city with the addition of growing coal mining in nobleness region was Scranton, with unblended population of over 140,000.) Mauch Chunk is on a Lehigh River west side (right bank) flat where Mahoning Creek enters and is a tributary love the Lehigh River. The river's left bank community of Assess Mauch Chunk, which has improved of the houses of original Jim Thorpe, was settled adjacent to support the short-lived Stovepipe Creek Railroad, the mines which spawned it, and the logging industry.

It came into in a superior way growth when the Lehigh Depression Railroad in 1885 pushed sift the valley on the river's east bank to oppose LC&N's effective transportation monopoly over ethics region, which extended across greet northwest Wilkes-Barre at Pittston requisition the Susquehanna River/Pennsylvania Canal.

Railroad growth and coal shipping

After ethics Pennsylvania Canal Commission smoothed birth way, Lehigh Coal & Voyaging built the Lehigh and River Railroad (L&S) from Pittston give in Ashley, building the Ashley Planesinclined railway and linked that manage without rail from Mountain Top disparagement White Haven at the belief of the canal's upper output, referred to as the Extravagant Lehigh Canal, whose navigations concentrated the Lehigh Gorge, now ensue in the Lehigh Gorge Reestablish Park route, cutting the stretch duration from Philadelphia to Wilkes-Barre increase in intensity the Wyoming Valley coal deposits by over 100 miles (160 km).

This placed Mauch Chunk boardwalk the center of a linkage of transportation in country wearresistant to travel through. When floods wiped out many of blue blood the gentry upper Lehigh Canal works get through to 1861, the L&S Railroad was extended through the gap have it in for supplant the canal, and goodness so-called switchback-twisted backtrack through Avoca, with the improved engines produce the day, enabled two-way mist locomotive traction and traffic regardless of the steep grades.

Owner LC&N Company's headquarters was built deal the street in Mauch Model from the L&S Railroad's modish brick passenger station that was soon boarding passengers onto trains from New York and Metropolis to Buffalo. The Central Insist upon of New Jersey eventually took over the L&S and significance station. The Lehigh Valley Put into effect arrived on the river's eastern bank at East Mauch Clod in 1855.,^[8]

Major historical events

Mauch Cram was the location of upper hand of the trials of nobility Molly Maguires in 1876, which resulted in the hanging a selection of four men found guilty always murder.^[9] The population of nobleness borough in 1900 was 4,020; in 1910, it was 3,952.^[10]

Following the 1953 death of harrier and Olympic medal winner Jim Thorpe, Thorpe's widow and gear wife, Patricia, was impatient conj at the time that, after five months, the contrived memorial in Shawnee, Oklahoma challenging yet to raise the $100,000 to honor him.

The town's citizens had paid for dismiss, a Thorpe son and Jim's body to be shipped immigrant California, paid and arranged go all-out for the funeral service at Be there for. Benedict's Catholic church, and compel to for the mausoleum costs continue to do Fairview Cemetery. Then Gov. General Murray vetoed a bill which would contribute funds to character erection of the memorial gift wrap Athletic Park.

On Sept. Ordinal Mrs. Thorpe, saying she terror Jim would be buried whitehead a potter's field, shipped distinction body to Tulsa where she said the Chamber of Business was going to build straight proper memorial, which was quite a distance true.^[11] When she heard roam the boroughs of Mauch Obsession and East Mauch Chunk were desperately seeking to attract trade, she made a deal understand civic officials.

According to Jim Thorpe's son, Jack, Patricia was motivated by money in hunting the deal.^[12]

Renaming to Jim Thorpe

The two cross-river boroughs merged careful 1954^[13] and renamed the in mint condition municipality Jim Thorpe in queen honor, despite Thorpe never bubble with foot in the Borough patch alive.

The municipality then erred the athlete's remains from climax widow and erected a marker to the Oklahoma native, who began his sports career Century miles (161 kilometres) southwest, type a student at the Carlisle Indian Industrial School in Carlisle, Pennsylvania. The monument site contains his tomb, two statues method him in athletic poses, final historical markers describing his strive story.

The grave rests motivation mounds of soil from Thorpe's native Oklahoma and from ethics Stockholm Olympic Stadium in which he won his Olympic medals.^[14]

On June 24, 2010, one break into Jim Thorpe's sons, Jack Athlete, sued the town for climax father's remains, citing the Preference American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act, which is designed accede to return Native American artifacts inspire their tribal homelands.^[15] On Feb 11, 2011, Judge Richard Caputo ruled that Jack Thorpe could not gain any monetary confer, nor any amount for attorney's fees in the lawsuit be first that for the lawsuit march continue other members of description Thorpe family and the Pocket and Fox Nation would maintain to join him as plaintiffs.

Before Jack Thorpe could reply to the ruling he acceptably at the age of 73 on February 22, 2011. As of his death his representatives were given more time justify respond to the ruling. Have a feeling May 2, 2011, William contemporary Richard Thorpe, Jim Thorpe's outstanding sons and the Sac & Fox Nation of Oklahoma spliced the lawsuit, allowing it make ill continue.^[16] On April 19, 2013, Caputo ruled in favor hold sway over William and Richard Thorpe, verdict that the borough amounts get at a museum under the law.^[17] This ruling was reversed tough the United States Court go in for Appeals for the Third Compass on October 23, 2014.^[18] Say publicly US Supreme Court refused take on hear their appeal on Oct 5, 2015, assuring that Jim Thorpe's remains will stay admire Carbon County.^[19]

The decision to pet name the borough saw a impure reaction by the borough's populace, many of whom still advert to the borough as Mauch Chunk.

Detractors to the novel name claim that the renaming was a "Tourist Lure" lecturer protested that Jim Thorpe locked away never even set eyes provision the borough while he was alive.^[20] There were several movements to rename the borough repossess to Mauch Chunk, first instruct in 1964 after the expected momentum in tourism never came highest another in 1992 as Jim Thorpe's popularity waned and locals referred to renaming the city after a dead Native Inhabitant to boost tourism revenues whereas "crass commercialism" while Thorpe's brotherhood called for his remains close by be returned to Oklahoma.^[21][20]

Architecture

The wildlife of the 1880s Mauch Clod is reflected in the architectonics that makes up its myriad 19th century styles.

A foregoing resident and architectural historian, Hans Egli, noted the vast coverage of styles: Federalist, Greek Resuscitation, Second Empire, Romanesque Revival, Prince Anne, and Richardsonian Romanesque. Summit of these architectural examples remained protected and intact beneath metal or vinyl siding that has since been removed.

Denise Histrion Brown and Robert Venturi, famous Philadelphia architects, conducted a puzzling planning study in the Decade that attempted to understand depiction dynamics of historicism and excursion, notions that have come insert their own in contemporary bygone. While Venturi's planning study was unique at the time, detach has since become a censorious factor in Jim Thorpe's bounce as a functioning and economically stable community.^[22] Jim Thorpe traverse is based on its year architecture, and recreation such introduction hiking, paintball and white bottled water rafting.

Historic site preservation near modern day use

The Carbon Domain Section of the Lehigh Supply, Old Mauch Chunk Historic Community, Mauch Chunk Switchback Railway, Asa Packer Mansion, Harry Packer Palace, Carbon County Jail, Central Lay stress upon of New Jersey Station, paramount St. Mark's Episcopal Church disadvantage listed on the National Catalogue of Historic Places.^[23] The previous Central Railroad of New Sweater railroad line through the Lehigh gorge and through Jim Jock is now operated as trig summer tourist railroad by Measure Blue Mountain & Northern Enforce.

The former New York Authorization to Buffalo Lehigh Valley Lay stress upon across the river is uncut present-day very active freight trucking railroad operated by Norfolk Meridional.

Mauch Chunk Switchback Gravity Railroad

Main article: Mauch Chunk Switchback Railway

In 1827, the Lehigh Coal & Navigation Company, a coal origin and shipping company with dealings in Summit Hill, constructed high-rise 8.7-mile (14.0 km) downhill track, put as a gravity railroad, give a lift deliver coal (and a collier to operate the mine train's brake) to the Lehigh Discpatcher in Mauch Chunk.

This helped open up the area achieve commerce, and helped to combustible the Industrial Revolution in honesty United States. By the 1850s, the "Gravity Road" (as had it became known) was providing rides to thrill seekers for 50 cents a ride (equal pile-up $16.35 today). It is frequently cited as the first barrel coaster in the United States.

The Switchback Gravity Railroad Reinforcement was formed to study glory feasibility of preserving and rendition the remains of the Switchback Gravity Railroad on top endowment Mount Pisgah.^[24]

Geography

Jim Thorpe is set near the center of Paper County at 40°52′23″N75°44′11″W / 40.87306°N 75.73639°W / 40.87306; -75.73639.^[25]

In magnanimity deeps of the geologic timescale the two shorelines of distinction Lehigh River occupied by say publicly 19th-century towns of Mauch Obsession and East Mauch Chunk were situated on the bottom ship an ancient river-fed tarn, a-okay mountain lake which filled nobility valley on the west incline and covered the relative flatlands on the east bank.

Class muddy bottom of that excessive tarn (the range then rivaling the Himalayas in size), turn the waters pooled at systematic lower elevation amongst the knotted folds of four near-parallel ridgelines, created a level region whose settlements became the relatively unbroken lands on either bank own up the Lehigh. The ridgelines, which run east-northeast to west-southwest, preparation (from north to south) Spacious, Nesquehoning, Pisgah, and Mauch Hoard ridges (or Mountains)—each of which runs over 15 miles (24.1 km) west to the gaps spill by the Schuylkill River.

According to the United States Canvass Bureau, the borough of Jim Thorpe has a total square footage of 14.9 square miles (38.6 km²), of which 14.6 square miles (37.8 km²) is land and 0.3 square miles (0.8 km²), or 2.15%, is water.^[26] Jim Thorpe equitable 3 miles (5 km) north lecturer upstream of Lehighton, below probity Lehigh Gap which sunders Contend with Mountain on the east listen from the extended ridge bad buy Mauch Chunk Mountain.

The municipal is 4 miles (6 km) condition of Nesquehoning, which is adjourn a steep grade and interact the bend along U.S. 209 South, and also butting cultivate against the slopes of Attention Pisgah. This was a deliberate element in the LC&N's display, for the grade from class mountain ridge down to leadership river enabled them to superabundance barges quickly, using chutes weather an elevated entry from well-ordered road down the ridge prejudice.

Jim Thorpe's developed elevations extent between the river slack h at 540 feet (160 m) snowed under sea level—720 feet (219.5 m) unexpected the town's upper streets, dexterous below the western peak accomplish Mount Pisgah, which tops waste at 1,519 feet (463.0 m) anterior sea level.^[6][7]

The elevation of position Borough of Jim Thorpe ranges from 540 feet (160 m) schoolwork Broadway and Hazard Square downtown to 1,700 feet (520 m) permeate sea level 3 miles (5 km) northeast of the borough interior near the Penn Forest Urban community line.

It has a warm-summer humid continental climate (Dfb) skull average downtown monthly temperatures put together from 26.5 °F in January feign 71.2 °F in July. PRISM Off-colour Group, Oregon State U Primacy local hardiness zone is 6a.

Transportation

As of 2019, there were 30.08 miles (48.41 km) of be revealed roads in Jim Thorpe, get the picture which 10.95 miles (17.62 km) were maintained by the Pennsylvania Authority of Transportation (PennDOT) and 19.13 miles (30.79 km) were maintained uninviting the borough.^[27]

U.S.

Route 209, conj albeit signed as a north–south electrical device, tends to follow an east–west route in Pennsylvania. In Jim Thorpe and Lehighton, U.S. 209 runs in directions opposite hang over signage—i.e., northbound U.S. 209 runs southwards and vice versa. Drop intersects the Pennsylvania Turnpike Northeastern Extension (Interstate 476) east censure Lehighton, about 6 miles (10 km) southeast of Jim Thorpe.

Pennsylvania Route 903 has its austral terminus at U.S. 209 pull off Jim Thorpe. It is on the rocks north–south route that runs nor'east of town, connecting to Begetter 115 near the Pocono Race, Interstate 476, and PA 534 in Penn Forest Township.

Carbon Transit provides bus service endorsement Jim Thorpe along Route 701, which runs between Coaldale suffer Palmerton on Mondays, Wednesdays, boss Fridays, and Route 702, which runs between Nesquehoning and Palmerton Monday-Friday.^[28] Carbon Transit also operates CT Flex service in Jim Thorpe, Penn Forest Township, become calm Kidder Township.^[29]

The town is served by the Reading, Blue Mount, and Northern Railroad with continual freight service.^[30] Seasonal passenger clash to and from the city is provided by its lesser, the Lehigh Gorge Scenic Railway.^[31]

Demographics

As of the census^[33] of 2010, there were 4,781 people, 2,290 households, and 1,468 families abiding in the borough.

The relations density was 332.1 inhabitants carrying weapons square mile (128.2/km²). There were 2,193 housing units at set average density of 151.6 make a fuss of square mile (58.5/km²). The national makeup of the borough was 98.4% White, 1.6% African Land, 1.0% Native American, 1.3% Asiatic, 1.0% Pacific Islander, 1.0% stranger other races, and 1.6% let alone two or more races.

Latino or Latino of any blood were 1.8% of the denizens.

There were 1,967 households, end which 28.2% had children inferior to the age of 18, 50.6% were married couples living closely packed, 12.3% had a female possessor with no husband present, put up with 32.1% were non-families. 27.1% forfeited all households were made remember of individuals, and 13.4% abstruse someone living alone who was 65 years of age in good health older.

The average household largeness was 2.42 and the numerous family size was 2.93.

In the borough, the population was spread out, with 21.0% slip up the age of 18, 8.2% from 18 to 24, 28.8% from 25 to 44, 24.9% from 45 to 64, boss 17.1% who were 65 age of age or older. Rendering median age was 41 period.

For every 100 females, near were 95.4 males. For from time to time 100 females age 18 innermost over, there were 91.9 plebs.

The median income for keen household in the borough was $35,976, and the median money for a family was $43,710. Males had a median resources of $31,141 versus $23,490 glossy magazine females.

The per capita receipts for the borough was $17,119. About 7.8% of families existing 10.0% of the population were below the poverty line, together with 18.3% of those under launch an attack 18 and 6.8% of those age 65 or over.

Education

The school district is Jim Athlete Area School District.^[35]

Recreation

In a suffrage conducted in 2009 by Budget Travel magazine, Jim Thorpe was awarded a top 10 trace on America's Coolest Small Towns.

The town registered 3,920 votes to land the number 7 spot on the list. Urgency 2012, Jim Thorpe was number one the fourth most beautiful run down town in America in prestige Rand McNally/USA Today Road Recovery series. Jim Thorpe is appropriate a tourist destination, with various businesses catering to white h rafting, mountain biking, paintball streak hiking.

Trails in Lehigh Nauseate State Park attract hikers wean away from all over, with Glen Onoko Falls a top trail stopping-place just north of downtown. Legislative body with these sports, Jim Athlete is popular among railroading fans for its passenger rail dwell in, and is known for spoil extraordinary architecture.

The town admiration home to the Asa Tramp and Harry Packer mansions.

Asa Packer founded Lehigh Valley Force and Lehigh University; Harry was his son. The mansions sit down side by side on trig hill overlooking downtown. The Asa Packer Mansion is a museum and has been conducting wanderings since Memorial Day of 1956. The Harry Packer Mansion research paper a bed and breakfast; entrails served as the model make the Haunted Mansion ride milk Walt Disney World in Florida.^[36]

Jim Thorpe is home to loftiness Anthracite Triathlon, an Olympic-distance triathlon open to amateur and office triathletes.

The swimming portion occurs in Mauch Chunk Lake, Which has kayaking and boating rentals for the public to unify as well as a lakeside. The bike course takes strings through the mining towns sponsor Summit Hill, Nesquehoning, Lansford skull Jim Thorpe. The running division of the course is by and large along the former alignment annotation a historic switchbackrailroad.^[37]

The Anita Shapolsky Art Foundation was established lose ground 20 West Broadway, in spick 10,000-square-foot (930 m²) 1859 former Protestant church, in Jim Thorpe mass 1998.^[38][39][40] There, through the systematizing, Anita Shapolsky exhibits abstract artists and contemporary artworks during primacy summer, and provides educational programs for children.^[38][39]

In 2022, an parvenu pro lacrosse league, the Veteran Box Lacrosse Association announced adroit franchise called the Jim Athlete All Americans would be family circle there.

However, no arena has yet been announced.^[41]

Gallery

Notable people

See also

Other American cities with a precise name and surname as grandeur municipal name:

References

External links