Near Prague in Pottawatomie County, Oklahoma — The American South (West South Central)
Birthsite of Jim Thorpe
Sac & Fox Indian
| | Watha Huck Bright Path | |
Photographed by Duane and Tracy Marsteller, June 21, 2025
1. Birthsite of Jim Thorpe Marker
As an amateur at Carlisle, PA Indian school Jim excelled in track, football, baseball and won two gold medals in decathlon and pentathlon at the 1912 Olympics in Stockholm. As a professional, he played Major League Baseball 1913-19, football 1915-29, was the first president of the National Football League, was inducted into the professional football Hall of Fame, Oklahoma Hall of Fame, track and field Hall of Fame and National Indian Hall of Fame.
Associated Press voted Jim Thorpe Americas' greatest all around athlete plus greatest football player first half of 20th century.
May 18, 1996 Olympic torch carried from Sac & Fox Nation through Prague here to Thorpe's birthsite. Atlanta committee of the Olympic games chose route to honor Thorpe's memory and contributions to the Olympics.
David and Rosalie Perkins farm
Contributed by BancFirst of Prague
Oklahoma Historical Society 1996
Erected 1996 by Oklahoma Historical Society BancFirst of Prague.
Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Indigenous Peoples and Communities
this page online
Location. 35° 25.319′ N, 96° 45.214′ W. Marker is near Prague, Oklahoma, in Pottawatomie County. It is on Northsouth 3510 Road south of East 1098 Road, on the left when traveling south. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 8505 Northsouth 3510 Rd, Prague OK 74864, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is in Central Oklahoma Frontier Country and in Greater Oklahoma City. It is also in the American South, specifically on the prairies, and on the Southern Plains. Globally, it is in North America, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once the territory of the Mississippian Culture and also the Louisiana Purchase.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 12 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies: Birthplace of Jim Thorpe (approx. 5.9 miles away); Home on the Range (approx. 10½ miles away); Shawnee Horse Trough (approx. 11.2 miles away); Beard Cabin (approx. 11.2 miles away); Washington Irving (approx. 11.3 miles away); Louise Funk Fluke (approx. 11.3 miles away); Shawnee Milling Company (approx. 11.7 miles away); Benedictine Hall (approx. 11.9 miles away).
Also see . . . Thorpe, James Francis (1888-1953). An American Indian, he is usually considered to be Sac and Fox, although he also had Potawatomi, Menominee, and Kickapoo, as well as Irish and French, ancestry. (John Bloom, in The Encyclopedia of Oklahoma History and Culture, Oklahoma Historical Society)
Photographed by Duane and Tracy Marsteller, June 21, 2025
2. Birthsite of Jim Thorpe Marker
Harris & Ewing, via Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division (Public Domain), circa 1915/20
3. James Jim Francis Thorpe (1887-1953)
He also played professional basketball, and is enshrined in both the college and professional football halls of fame.
Credits. This page was last revised on August 16, 2025. It was originally submitted on August 16, 2025, by Duane and Tracy Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee. This page has been viewed 114 times since then and 31 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on August 16, 2025, by Duane and Tracy Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee. 3. submitted on June 28, 2025, by Duane and Tracy Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee.
