Jim Thorpe's Body May Be Sent To Oklahoma

You may have visited the quaint historic town of Jim Thorpe north of the Lehigh Valley but do you know that it's named after a man who never went there?

The town, originally known as Mauch Chunk, changed its name to honor the famed Olympian who was buried there through an arrangement with Thorpe's widow. Local leaders hoped to revive the former coal boom town as a tourist destination with the help of Thorpe's famous name.

Two of Thorpe's sons have been embroiled in a legal battle to have their father's body put to rest on tribal land in his native Oklahoma—and a federal judge recently agreed with their request.

Thorpe, of the Sac and Fox tribe, set Olympic decathlon records in 1912 in Sweden and was named the greatest U.S. athlete of the half century in 1950 by sportswriters.

Thorpe's body now rests in a mausoleum in a small park dedicated to him just north of the town of Jim Thorpe along Route 903.

There's no word yet on whether the town will appeal the judge's ruling or when the body would be moved.

Thorpe died in 1953 in California at age 64.

As a young man, Thorpe came to Carlisle Indian Industrial School in Pennsylvania, where he played football for legendary Coach "Pop" Warner and made All-American. He later played in the NFL and was among the first group of players inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.