In the 1950s, the once–thriving town of Mauch Chunk, Pennsylvania was fading fast. Local newspaperman Joe Boyle was determined to revive it – and a chance meeting in 1953 with the widow of legendary athlete Jim Thorpe set off one of the strangest civic reinvention stories in American history.
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This is the debut episode of our newly rebranded Public History with Justin, Jake, and Molly, and we’re thrilled to welcome co-host Molly Keilty to the show.
In our new season, we’re digging into the stories we love while taking a fresh look at how history is interpreted in museums, historic sites, and popular culture.
In this episode, we explore:
• The rise and fall and rise again of Mauch Chunk
• The shadow of the Molly Maguires
• Jim Thorpe’s extraordinary athletic career – and his childhood as a “hostage” of the U.S. government
• 1950s publicity stunts like the Nickel-A-Week campaign
• What it means for a town to take on someone else’s name and legacy
Listen to previous podcast episode about walking tours and community history
Podcast | Walking Tours and Community History with Matt Maris of Local Historia
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Growing up in Hazleton, Pa, these history reads are very much appreciated. During my high school years, I had the opportunity to work at Eckley, Pa while they were filming the movie “The Molly Maguires”. I personally knew James Fellin, one of the bootleg coal miners trapped in a mine disaster in Oneida, Pa in 1965. His story is amazing.
My GGrandmother was from Mauch Chunk. Her father was Thomas McWilliams and mother was Mary Anne Boyle-Moran.