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| Above, Jack Rabbit Trading Post in Joseph City, Arizona. Photo by Armand Vaquer. |
Along Interstate 40 in Arizona is Joseph City, the home of my favorite Arizona trading post, the Jack Rabbit Trading Post.
Joseph City, Arizona has an interesting history which included Mormon pioneers, Route 66, trading posts and landmarks.
Legends of America has an article on Joseph City's history and it does include Jack Rabbit Trading Post.
It begins with:
Joseph City, Arizona, located just about 11 miles west of Holbrook on Route 66 is an unincorporated community in Navajo County.
This area along the Little Colorado River was first settled by Mormon pioneers led by Captain William C. Allen in 1876. Joseph City was first called Allen’s Camp, for their leader. One of the settlers first tasks was to build a U-shaped fort of cottonwood logs. They were also focused on getting water for their crops and built a dam and irrigation canals the same year. However, taming the capricious river would be difficult, as over the next several decades the settlers watched in despair as the dams washed out and their crops amounted to nearly nothing. Not just one or two times, mind you, but 10 times before a dam was successfully built in 1894 that was strong enough to withstand the floods. This led Andrew Jensen, a Morman church historian, to call the settlement “the leading community in pain, determination and unflinching courage in dealing with the elements around them.”
Although I've been to Jack Rabbit Trading Post several times, I was unaware (until now) of Joseph City's history and places to explore. The article is a good read.
To read more, go here.
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