Jim Thorpe, (Mauch Chunk) is nestled in a spectacular valley at a landing along the Lehigh River Gorge. The discovery of coal in our neighboring communities fueled the incredible growth of Mauch Chunk and, ironically, the hard times that began with the demise of the coal industry contributed to renaming it Jim Thorpe.

In the beginning, the tiny settlement was called Coalville. Mauch Chunk began to take form around 1818 when the town became a major center for regional anthracite coal transportation.

In 1822 the population was two hundred and sixty-nine, comprising ninety-three working hands, thirty-five other male adults, forty-five female adults, and ninety-six children. A great number of men had gathered from far and near, from town and country, to build the river dams, to cut timber, prepare roadways, and delve in the mountain for coal."

Roads were built along the ridges to tame the steep inclines of the surrounding mountains. These roadways were designed as wagon roads to carry coal that would eventually be loaded onto the empty barges waiting along the Mauch Chunk riverfront.

By 1872, the efficiency of steam locomotion and the expansion of railroad systems diminished the use of the Lehigh Coal and Navigation Company’s canal system as the primary means of regional coal transport.
Steam and rail technology also dethroned Mauch Chunks' unique switchback, a "railed road" that used gravity as the means to transport coal from nearby mines to Mauch Chunk. During the time the switchback hauled coal it also hauled people. From about 1898 until bank foreclosure in 1937, the famous "Switch Back" and its exhilarating, eighteen mile open rail car ride was a "must do" attraction. Now, the Switch Back, even though dismantled, still leaves its legacy in the form of trails, which are hiked, biked and enjoyed by many of our natives and visitors.

Jim Thorpe's famous mansions and unspoiled Victorian architecture support the claim that Mauch Chunk was once the home to 13 millionaires. When black tie was de rigueur in Mauch Chunk, not only coal, but also tourism, was a major industry. Mauch Chunk had seven grand hotels. Of these only the American Hotel remains, beautifully restored and now called, The Inn at Jim Thorpe. Mauch Chunk was also known for its famous ballroom in the sky, Flagstaff, which is still in operation today. The remains of a once famous resort and the Hotel Wahnetah are said to be a short distance from Mauch Chunk. The ruins lay along the Lehigh River near the trail that leads up to the legendary Glen Onoko Falls, but few have found these ruins.

The spirit of old Mauch Chunk has kept this place mostly immune to the ravages of time and the architectural malevolence of well-intended entrepreneurs.

Mauch Chunks' spirit is the only explanation of why, 180 years later, even though surrounded by an increasingly insane world, quaint Bed and Breakfasts' populate many of the original Victorian buildings on Broadway and why, during any fair weather weekend you will find the streets, galleries, shops, and restaurants of, "A Town Called Jim,"
comfortably bustling with enchanted people.

D.M. 03/06

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