YALE, Okla. — The Oklahoma Historical Society sold the Jim Thorpe Home in Yale to the Thorpe Family Foundation on July 25.
Jim Thorpe is known for being one of Oklahoma's most decorated Olympians, as well as playing professional baseball and football.
Born in 1887, Thorpe lived in a one-bedroom cabin with 11 brothers and sisters. So, the home in Yale was a big step up for the athlete.
Thorpe bought the home in 1917 and lived there until 1923. OHS acquired the house in 1968.
OHS said that over the years, funding and resources to operate the home have dwindled, and deferred maintenance issues have grown.
Google reviews for the house also suffered due to alleged lack of staffing and open hours.
The OHS continued to own the home and property while the Jim Thorpe Memorial Foundation provided staffing and covered other daily operational expenses with some financial assistance from the OHS.
In 2023, Thorpe’s grandchildren took a renewed interest in the home.
On July 25, the two parties signed paperwork to officially sell the Jim Thorpe Home to the foundation.
2 News visited the home and talked with Thorpe's great-great-granddaughter, Brooklyn Thomas.
"As a family, we were all just really passionate about it, and we couldn't let it go to anyone else, really," she said.
For now, Thorpe's descendants are focused on a new roof and gathering more memorabilia for the museum they hope will draw even more people to town.
The Thorpe family is excited about the new ownership. They said if anyone has Thorpe memorabilia, they would love to have it, and welcome monetary donations as well to improve the property.
2 News also asked Yale resident Taylor Flanagan how he feels about Thorpe being from the town.
"It is a very small town. Not a lot going on here. But to think that an Olympics hall of famer, gold medalist grew up right down the street? I can go see it anytime I want to," he said. "I can take my two sons to go see it. It's an awesome piece of history that I'm glad to be around and a part of."
Thorpe's legacy runs deep in Oklahoma. He was the first Native American to win a gold medal at the 1912 Olympics in Stockholm, earning medals in pentathlon and decathlon.
In his professional sports career, he played on six NFL teams. He also played six seasons of Major League Baseball in between 1913 and 1919, and even a traveling basketball team in the 1920s.
Thorpe even has a town in Pennsylvania named after him — Jim Thorpe, Pennsylvania.
The Associated Press ranked him as the "greatest athlete" from the first 50 years of the 20th century. The Pro Football Hall of Fame inducted him as part of its inaugural class in 1963.
The Great Depression sadly brought an end to Thorpe's sports career. He struggled to earn a living after that and worked odd jobs, including many small-part acting gigs. He suffered from alcoholism and his last years were spent in poverty with failing health.
He was married three times and had eight children. He passed away in 1953.
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