J: Jax Mercantile

I'm sending some local love today to a home-grown business that will turn 60 this year. From the Jax Mercantile Company website:


"Jax began in 1953 as humble structure built on the edge of the Dreher family pickle farm boarding  (bordering?) Highway 287 in north Fort Collins. The Dreher boys constructed it out of steel once used to hold up steam engine water tanks and wooden ammunition crates. The boys sold military surplus items they purchased after attending a government sale."

The Dreher family owned Jax for 33 years before Jim Quinlan bought it and began expanding. These days, Jax has moved way beyond surplus and is one of those fun stores that sells everything for real outdoors-y people and pretenders like me. And Jax is community-oriented and donates to many local causes. There are six stores now, five in Northern Colorado and one in Ames, Iowa. The original store still stands on the site of that first "humble structure." But the pickle farm is long gone.





Comments

Unknown said…
What a great store! such character..
liz young said…
A proper general store - or should that be spent Jeneral?
Anonymous said…
that's great you still have some of history still standing. We don't have as much but do still have one of the original dept stores. Prob everyone els's towns look nice than our own.
Susan Scott said…
It looks wonderfully fresh and clean and what a great history! Loved the comment above - Jeneral store!
Great post thanks Paula!
Susan Scott's Soul Stuff
Mark Means said…
Nothing better than homegrown, local businesses!

Left and Write
I love Jax...shopped there many a times! :)
Amy Jarecki said…
So cool! What a neat family store :-)
I've only been in the JAX store way north on 287 but that one could keep me occupied for hours. I really need to visit the other one too.
jhuber7672 said…
Sounds like my kind of place, love the independent shops, especially those with a diverse selection of merchandise!

Happy A to Z-ing :)

www.solotravelgirl.com
Anonymous said…
Sweet. Gotta support local stores, they have so much character.
Unknown said…
What an awesome store. I love a store with history!
Peanut Butter and Whine

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