The CURRENT
GO • SEE • DO JIM THORPE
The Jim Thorpe Current
www.JimThorpeCurrent.com
Serving Carbon County and Beyond
May 2022 • 1
jimthorpecurrent.com I MAY 2022
Visit and Learn! Jim Thorpe’s Historical Mauch
Chunk Museum & Cultural Center and the Kemmerer Carriage House by John Drury and Barbara Mumma Special to The Current
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he Mauch Chunk Museum and Cultural Center Inc. is open for visitors and is located on the first floor of the building at 41 W. Broadway in Jim Thorpe. This awardwinning museum is dedicated to the local and nearby history.
Barbara Mumma at The Kemmerer Carriage House
“The Story of Mauch Chunk,” the theme of the museum’s core exhibition, leads the visitor through the ages from the geological formation of coal in prehistoric times to the present. It focuses on such topics as the Lenape Indians, the discovery and mining of “black diamonds” (anthracite coal), the settlement of Mauch Chunk, the scramble to build waterways and railroads to transport coal to eastern seaboard cities, the unique Switchback Gravity Railroad, and Mauch Chunk in its industrial golden age. Its decline and revival as the town of Continued on page 4
Come Celebrate The Jim Thorpe Olympian Birthday Event May 21 - 22
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he Mauch Chunk Museum and Cultural Center will be sponsoring the 25th annual Jim Thorpe Birthday Weekend on Saturday, May 21st and Sunday, May 22nd. This event is in honor of James Francis Thorpe, a Native American and “Athlete of the 20th Century”. The festivities start off on Saturday, May 21st at 10:30am with a Native American Tribute at the Jim Thorpe Mausoleum, along with Don Wild Eagle, Medicine Horse Drum Group, Carlisle Guests and Native Americans. An Olympic Torch run by the Jim Thorpe High School Cross Country and Track teams will proceed with a police escort
down Center Street to Front Street with a left onto the bridge, a right on 209 to the Liberties, a left at the Liberties to South Avenue, then a left onto Hill Road to Broadway, and then down Broadway to Josiah White Park. At the strike of noon the lighting of the Olympic Torch in Josiah White Park will start the Native American Events for the weekend. Medals will be awarded to the winning team and coach, and the resolution that Rep. Doyle Heffley had the Pennsylvania House pass, declaring that May 21, 2022 has been named “James Francis Thorpe Continued on page 3
Margaritaville Is Coming to the Poconos
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arrotheads, get ready to head to Pennsylvania’s Pocono Mountains. The lifestyle brand inspired by Jimmy Buffet will debut its first Margaritaville Resort Village in mid-2024 with all levels of experiences from RV sites to tiny home bungalows to hotel rooms. “As the ultimate family destination for over eight decades, the natural beauty of the Pocono Mountains has offered a retreat for those in search of fun, relaxation, and a backdrop of lakes and mountains,” Margaritaville’s president of development Jim Wiseman said in a statement sent to Travel + Leisure. “In Margaritaville, we are known for our sense of escapism and look forward to bringing our vacation lifestyle to the area with the first Margaritaville Resort Village.” The resort will offer a variety of ways to experience the northeastern Pennsylvania scenery. At its heart will be the Margaritaville Hotel Pocono Mountains, which will honor the beloved 1902 landmark Pocono Manor, which burned down in 2019. Margaritaville’s newly built hotel will feature gardens, restaurants, pools, and live entertainment venues. Also within the Resort Village will be Camp Margaritaville, which is set to bring luxury camping experiences to the area with cabins and RV sites, including some upscale RV Suites complete with a hot tub, hammock, and fire pit, as well as a covered “living room,” charging station areas, and access to a private golf cart. The area will also have a retail store, fitness center, pickleball courts, game room, kids’ club, dog park, a 5 O’Clock Somewhere swim-up bar, and of course, a Cheeseburger in Continued on page 10