Historical Marker Program

Birthplace of Jim Thorpe

Lincoln County
Location: less than one block north of the intersection of US-62 and US-377 in Prague
Coordinates: 35.487290, -96.685699
Material: Granite
Sponsor(s): Prague Historical Society and the Oklahoma Historical Society
Topics: American Indians; Early Statehood, 1907–1941; Recreational/Service; Social/Cultural

James Francis Thorpe (Sac and Fox) was born southeast of present-day Prague as Wa-tho-huck, or “Bright Path.” He dominated the 1912 Olympics, winning both the decathlon and pentathlon events. He played Major League Baseball and professional football. He was the first president of the National Football League and is a member of Professional Football Hall of Fame. The Associated Press voted him the world’s greatest male athlete of the first half of the twentieth century.