Can’t believe I haven’t posted this yet, but I marked off my 432nd National Park unit during my trip—Carlisle Federal Indian Boarding School National Monument in PA.
This was the first federal “off-rez” Indian school, made famous by being home to Jim Thorpe, the world’s greatest athlete."
Carlisle Indian Industrial School, as it was known then, was a major powerhouse in college football, the most successful one to ever go defunct. Coached by “Pop” Warner, it competed with and beat the best teams in the country, including Harvard, Yale, and Army (including Dwight D Eisenhower’s team). They’re often regarded as the “team that invented football.”
A few of the original buildings still stand, and it remains federal property today—the US Army War College—and requires a background check to visit.
