Jim Thorpe won Olympic medals in 15 different events in the pentathlon and decathlon in 1912 and was the first Native American to win a gold for the United States. In addition, he had played football during his college days and played professional baseball and basketball.
Stringent amateur rules and a failure of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) to adhere to their own policies led to his medal wins being taken away. It was a year after he won that the IOC claimed the small amount he made from playing on a minor league baseball team was enough to disqualify him
After repeated appeals the medals restored to his family posthumously in 1982
After his death in 1953, his remains were sent to his home state of Oklahoma. Attempts to find a final resting place and memorial for him were thwarted by a lack of funds and a veto from then Oklahoma Governor Johnston Murray. Some say racism over his American Indian heritage and the loss of his Olympic Medals were the reason.
His wife agreed to his final resting place in the Pensylvania town of Mauch Chunk. The town even agreed to change its name to Jim Thorpe.
We rolled into the historic downtown Jim Thorpe, paid $8 to park near the river, and checked in at the visitors center. We were surprised to discover several attractions were closed including the Town Museum on a Thursday in late June. We wandered up and down Broadway St checking out the small shops. There was little mention of the towns namesake but the opera house bore the towns original name.
We decided that ice cream at Woods by the train station would be our lunch. Mr Ram asked the woman there where his memorial was. “Oh it’s not here. Its on the other side of the river, on the main road up the hill.”
That seemed like an odd location since most of the Tourist focus is in the “historic” district. However it was only a few doors down from the Bright Path Brewery were we would likely have ended up anyway. And we learned at the Jim Thorpe Memorial site that Bright Path was his Indian name making the stop at the Brewery mandatory.
We both thought their Dark Mild was just too mild and opted for the Dry Hopped Brown.
If you are passing through this are a stop at the memorial and Bright Star Brewery is worth it. The historic district is less compelling with a number of stores being closed on a Thursday in June. And if you decide to stop here on a weekend, the parking jumps to $25 for the day.