The Jack Rabbit Trading Post of Joseph City, Arizona — best known for its jackrabbit mascot and its “Here It Is!” billboard — actually got its start near Tijeras in the East Mountains near Albuquerque.
James H. Taylor opened the Jack Rabbit along Route 66 near Joseph City in 1949, but he opened another rabbit-promoted business — Canyon Trading Post, also on Route 66 — a few years before in Tijeras Canyon in New Mexico.
Rick Holben of the East Mountain Historical Society wrote an article about that little-known Tijeras link for NM.news.
There, a large jackrabbit figure was placed along the highway as an attraction to lure people off the famous road. That whimsical jackrabbit apparently served as the model after Taylor moved to Arizona, when he and fellow trading post owner Wayne Troutner of Winslow put it on signs they posted all along U.S. Highway 66, all the way from Arizona to Springfield, Missouri. […]
In January 1947, James and his wife Inez purchased just over a half-acre of land along Highway 66 near Sedillo Hill east of Tijeras, where they established the Canyon Trading Post. It included two rental cabins and sold Conoco gas along with roadside souvenirs and taxidermy items crafted by Taylor.
The jackrabbit that lured visitors to Canyon Trading Post was covered in real fur and was likely one of Taylor’s taxidermy creations. Children could have their picture taken with the iconic jackrabbit, and for 25 cents, the image would be printed on a postcard. Tijeras native Sandra Walton Lee was among those who sat on the jackrabbit as a child. Now in her mid-80s, Sandra still recalls that it “smelled funny” and pieces of fur were falling off.
Here is a photo of the scruffy-looking rabbit that Walton rode on:
Taylor died in Arizona in 1989. The Jack Rabbit Trading Post lives on near Joseph City, which is owned and operated by Tony and Cindy Jaquez.
The tale about the Jack Rabbit is contained in a new book by the historical society, “A History of the Highway Between Albuquerque and Santa Rosa,” which can be found here.
(Image of the “Here It Is” billboard of the Jack Rabbit Trading Post via Facebook; image of the Canyon Trading Post near Tijueras courtesy of 66Postcards.com)