Wich’s wabbits April 5, 2010

The Alton (Ill.) Telegraph tells the tale of Rich Henry and his Henry’s Rabbit Ranch, a favorite attraction for Route 66 travelers in Staunton, Ill., for years.

Henry keeps several dozen rabbits on the premises as pets, and also keeps quite a bit of Route 66 memorabilia on display.

Here’s how the rabbit ranch started:

Henry started the “bunny thing” in October 1999, after his then 20-year-old daughter got a bunny for Easter. [...]

“She got one that was supposed to be a female, and then she got a second one that really was a female,” recalled Henry, whose main profession is as an agent for American National Insurance and a license and title servicer, which he also does at the ranch.

By the end of July 1999, the cotton-tailed couple had two litters of bunnies. Thirty days later, they had a third litter. Henry’s daughter finally got the male fixed, but it was too late. The female delivered a fourth litter after the fix.

“So (the rabbits) came here,” Henry said. “I still use the hutch from this original family. It’s almost 10 years later, and I just lost the last of the original family.”

Make sure you read the “Rainbow Bridge” part of the story. You may need a Kleenex after you’re done, and you also will realize that for Henry, the rabbits aren’t just a gimmick.