We noticed long ago that there are many camel references in the town. Although we thought it odd, it wasn't until this trip that we learned the real story.
In 1856, Secretary of War Jefferson Davis (yes, the one who would later become President of the South) decided to use camels to transport freight and people across the desert western states. Davis imported over 70 camels for the surveying project conducted by the U.S. Army. Hadji Ali, a Syrian, signed on as a camel driver for the U.S. Army in 1856, becoming the first (or one of the first- records are sketchy) camel driver employed by the U.S. Army. Hadji's American bosses quickly "renamed" him Hi Jolly because it was easier for them to pronounce.
The Civil War interrupted the camel experiment and both funding and a voice in Washington were lost. Some of the camels were sold, others just abandoned. Hi Jolly kept a few of the abandoned camels to start a freight line between Yuma and Tucson but the operation failed. He then went back to work for the U.S. Army as a packer and scout at Ft. McDowell near Phoenix. He eventually became an American citizen in 1880, taking the name Philip Tedro. In his later years, Hi Jolly settled near Quartzsite and tried his hand at prospecting.
Although Hi Jolly has been dead for over 100 years (he died in 1902), he is still the most well-known, celebrated citizen of the small community of Quartzsite. Local legend claims he went into the desert searching for a wild camel (remember, the abandoned camels had been roaming the desert for over 40 years by this time) and his body was found with one arm wrapped around a dead camel. Every year, "camelmania" (called Hi Jolly Daze) grips the town with camel races, a camel parade and the gathering of what they hope will become the world's largest collection of camel artifacts and memorabilia.
In 1935, the Arizona Dept. of Transportation erected this monument to Hi Jolly and buried him along with the ashes of the last government camel in it. It is located in the very small community cemetery in Quartzsite.
Not far from the cemetery, in a gray-blue building showing its age is the Quartzsite Yacht Club. I was intrigued with the idea of a yacht club in the middle of the desert thinking they were waiting for California to fall in the ocean making western Arizona beach-front property. The real story, however, is a bit different.
Al Madden, a California investor was spending a lot of time in Quartzsite in the 1970's and bought the local beer bar ("The Jigsaw"), a run-down establishment quickly going in the hole. Al had a quick wit, a lot of imagination and great business-sense. He spruced it up a very little bit, changed the name to "The Yacht Club" with the motto "Welcome aboard - long time, no sea!" Al sold memberships in The Yacht Club (just like the ritzy yacht clubs) to any qualified visitors (aka anyone with $10!). His place became an almost instant success and he became a commodore. Today memberships go for $25 and there are over 7,000 members from every state in the U.S. and many countries all over the world. Some members have used their membership cards to be admitted to exclusive yacht clubs all over the world! Scam or solution- you decide.
I had planned to have a snack, talk to the locals, even buy a membership. But despite the prominent "No Smoking" sign on the door, the place REEKED of smoke with a huge cloud hovering just below the ceiling. We turned right around and left.
Thumb Up or Down: Hi Jolly's Tomb- Up!
Quartzsite Yacht Club- DOWN!
Miles Round-Trip: 303.4 miles
Miles to Date: 1,159.3 miles
Date of This Trip: December 13, 2011
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