Jack Rabbit Trading Post
The Jack Rabbit Trading Post is a convenience store and curio shop located on former U.S. Route 66, five miles west of Joseph City, Arizona city limits off of Exit 269 on Interstate 40.
Description[]
It was founded in 1949, on the site of either a Santa Fe Railroad building or a former snake farm, depending on the source,[1][2] and became famous for a series of billboards that stretched from Missouri to Arizona, each bearing the silhouette of a jackrabbit and the distance from that sign to the trading post.[3] In front of the store was another such billboard with "HERE IT IS" written underneath it. The billboards were part of a collaboration between the original owner, James Taylor, and Wayne Troutner, who owned the For Men Only store in Winslow, Arizona.[4]
With a large fiberglass jackrabbit that can be mounted (for pictures), the facility is considered a major Route 66 attraction.[2]
In the 2006 film Cars, the trading post's "HERE IT IS" signage is depicted with a Model T Ford in place of the jackrabbit[3] and "Lizzie" (a 1923 Ford) as the store's proprietor. The end credits included a thank you to Antonio and Cindy Jaquez, who have owned the trading post since 1995.[1][5]
On Route 66 in Staunton, Illinois, Henry's Rabbit Ranch uses very similar signage with the slogan "HARE IT IS."[6]
Gallery[]
The interior of the Jack Rabbit Trading Post
The eponymous large Jack Rabbit
A mural on a wall at the trading post
The famous "HERE IT IS!" rabbit covered sign for the Jack Rabbit Trading Post
References[]
- ^ a b "Joseph City, Arizona and the Jackrabbit Trading Post – Legends of America". www.legendsofamerica.com. Retrieved 2019-05-05.
- ^ a b "Weird Arizona". www.weirdus.com. Retrieved 2019-05-05.
- ^ a b "Jack Rabbit Trading Post". Atlas Obscura. Retrieved 2019-05-05.
- ^ "14. Jack Rabbit Trading Post". Arizona Daily Sun. Retrieved 2019-05-05.
- ^ "Pixar's Route 66 inspirations". Route 66 News. 2006-06-13. Retrieved 2019-05-05.
- ^ "Hare It Is ~ Henry's Rabbit Ranch". www.henrysroute66.com. Retrieved 2019-05-05.
External links[]
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Coordinates: 34°58′06″N 110°25′50″W / 34.968283°N 110.4304404°W
- Buildings and structures on U.S. Route 66
- Retail buildings in Arizona
- Buildings and structures in Navajo County, Arizona
- Tourist attractions along U.S. Route 66
- Tourist attractions in Navajo County, Arizona