OT: Jim Thorpe On The Move

[AMBST95]

My family has a place up in Poconos Pines which is about 30-40 minutes from Jim Thorpe. It's really just a small town with lots of antique shops and some outdoor adventure shops. Going rafting on the Lehigh is a fun family trip and riding the train can be good with the kids, but as far as an association with the athletic prowess of Jim Thorpe, the town really lacks much. I'm sure that at the time it helped boost interest in the town which created an environment to build its tourist industry around the outdoor sport/adventure and antiquing market. I've never been to the memorial, but I doubt the memorial brings a lot of people in to town any more, it's the other things I've mentioned. The borough is lucky that the interest in Jim Thorpe is so low because they'd be dealing with a PR nightmare if mainstream media picked it up.

[kkkkandp]

I'm sure much has changed since the last time I was in that town 35 years ago. My wife graduated from what was at the time East Stroudsburg State College. We went to the wedding of one of her classmates and the reception was at the Jim Thorpe Rod and Gun Club. At the time a lot of the town was really pretty seedy and run down. The park and grave are pretty cool as those things go, but I don't think many people go to the town specifically to see it.