Quartzsite in La Paz County, Arizona — The American Mountains (Southwest)
Hi Jolly
Camel Driver, Packer, Scout
| | Last Camp | |
Photographed by Denise Boose, June 16, 2011
1. Hi Jolly Marker
Hi Jolly
Born somewhere in Syria
about 1828
Died at Quartzsite
December 16, 1902
Came to this country
February 10, 1856
Camel Driver - Packer
Scout - Over Thirty
Years a faithful aid
to the US Government
Erected 1935 by Arizona Highway Department.
Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Animals • Cemeteries & Burial Sites • Exploration • Military. In addition, it is included in the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) series list. A significant historical month for this entry is February 1858.
Location. 33° 39.864′ N, 114° 14.202′ W. Marker is in Quartzsite, Arizona, in La Paz County. It can be reached from Cemetery Street (Business U.S. 10) 0.1 miles north of West Main Street (U.S. 95) when traveling north. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Quartzsite AZ 85346, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is in Arizona’s Colorado River Valley, in the Sonoran Desert, and in the Yuma Area. It is also in the American Southwest. Globally, it is in North America, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once New Spain and also Mexicos Alta California.
Other nearby markers. At least 6 other markers are within 14 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies: A different marker also named Hi Jolly (within shouting distance of this marker); Tyson's Well (approx. one mile away); Oasis Hotel Site (approx. one mile away); a different
this page online
Related markers. Click here for a list of markers that are related to this marker. A series of markers related to the Army's camel experiment
Also see . . .
1. Hi Jolly and the US Camel Corps. Lt. Edward Fitzgerald Beale, for whom Beales Cut in Newhall would later be named, led the U.S. Camel Corps on an expedition from Arizona to California in 1857. After the U.S. Army abandoned the short-lived experiment, Beale, who attained the rank of General, used some of the camels as pack animals to carry supplies from Los Angeles to his base at Fort Tejon — passing through the Santa Clarita Valley and, presumably, Beale's Cut, along the way. (Submitted on December 12, 2009, by Chris English of Phoenix, Arizona.)
2. The Great Southwestern Desert Camel Experiment. It was during the 19th century that the camel, of all creatures, became a part of the fabled story of the deserts of the Southwest. The animals history in the United States, however, began far earlier, in 1701, when a wealthy sea captain named Crowninshield brought a male and female to Salem, Massachusetts, where he exhibited them as curiosities.
Photographed by Thomas Chris English, December 11, 2009
2. Hi Jolly Marker
3. Hi Jolly - Wikipedia. This Wikipedia article reports the history of Hi Jolly as well as displaying photos of the site and Hi Jolly. (Submitted on December 12, 2009, by Chris English of Phoenix, Arizona.)
4. National Park Service NRHP page for the Hi Jolly Monument. (Submitted on October 30, 2024, by Mark Hilton of Montgomery, Alabama.)
Photographed by Thomas Chris English, December 11, 2009
3. Hi Jolly Cemetery in Quartzite
[See Link #4 for information on the Legend of The Red Ghost.]
Legend
The camel atop the Pyramid symbolizes the legend of The Red Ghost that roamed the desert, terrorizing man and beast with what amounted to a corpse tied to his back.
Legend also has it that the ashes of Topsy, Hi Jollys favorite camel and companion are also placed in the bronze time capsule.
Legend also has it that the ashes of Topsy, Hi Jollys favorite camel and companion are also placed in the bronze time capsule.
Photographed by Denise Boose, June 16, 2011
4. Hi Jolly Marker
Photographed by Denise Boose, June 16, 2011
5. Camel Saddle
Credits. This page was last revised on March 18, 2026. It was originally submitted on December 12, 2009, by Chris English of Phoenix, Arizona. This page has been viewed 4,895 times since then and 110 times this year. Last updated on June 23, 2010, by Chris English of Phoenix, Arizona. Photos: 1. submitted on June 9, 2012, by Denise Boose of Tehachapi, California. 2, 3. submitted on December 12, 2009, by Chris English of Phoenix, Arizona. 4, 5. submitted on June 9, 2012, by Denise Boose of Tehachapi, California. • Syd Whittle was the editor who published this page.
