His family lived in El Paso, Texas at this time and the locals nicknamed him "Pecos Bill" (a title he used for over twenty years).

Because of his intimidating height, he would avoid people by walking the alleys on his way to school so he could hide if he encountered anyone (for fear of frightening them).

Jacob took the screen name Jack Earle when he started working in the silent film industry, where he appeared in many movies.

While touring El Paso, Texas, Ringling Bros. offered Earle a one-year contract, which turned into fourteen years of employment.

[4]: 91  In addition, Earle was a talented artist and worked in a variety of media, including painting, sculpture, photography, and poetry.

[4]: 90  On November 4, 1950, the Saturday Evening Post ran an article titled Life of Giant Jack Earle.