Quartzsite is a weird place. If you've ever driven the I-10 between Phoenix and Los Angeles, you know exactly what I mean. It’s a dusty patch of Bureau of Land Management (BLM) land that explodes from a few thousand residents to over a million people every winter. Most folks come for the rocks, the gems, or the cheap RV parking. But right in the middle of town, tucked away in a modest cemetery, sits a stone pyramid topped with a metal camel. This is Hi Jolly's Tomb in Quartzsite AZ, and honestly, the story behind it is way more interesting than the monument itself.
It’s easy to look at a camel on a tombstone and think it’s just some kitschy roadside attraction. It isn't. It’s actually a memorial to one of the strangest failed experiments in United States military history: the U.S. Camel Corps.
The Man Behind the Camel
Before we talk about the pyramid, we have to talk about the man. Hi Jolly wasn't his birth name, obviously. He was born Philip Tedro in Ionia, Greece, around 1828. Later, he converted to Islam and took the name Hadji Ali. When he arrived in America in 1856, the US Army soldiers couldn't quite wrap their tongues around "Hadji Ali," so they did what soldiers do—they butchered it into "Hi Jolly."
He was hired as a lead camel driver. See, back in the mid-1850s, the Secretary of War was a guy named Jefferson Davis. Yeah, that Jefferson Davis. He had this wild idea that horses and mules were garbage for traversing the "Great American Desert" of the Southwest. He convinced Congress to cough up $30,000 to import camels from the Middle East. They brought over about 70 animals and a handful of drivers, including Ali.
The experiment actually worked. Sort of.
The camels could carry huge loads, they didn't need much water, and they didn't care about the heat. But there was a major problem: the camels smelled terrible, they were temperamental, and they absolutely terrified the Army’s horses and mules. Then the Civil War broke out. The government had bigger things to worry about than dromedaries in the desert, so the project was scrapped. Some camels were sold to circuses, some were used for mining, and others were just turned loose into the Arizona brush.
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Visiting Hi Jolly's Tomb in Quartzsite AZ Today
If you’re heading there, don’t expect a massive cathedral. It’s a quiet spot. The tomb is located in the Quartzsite Cemetery. You’ll see the pyramid—built out of local volcanic rock and petrified wood—standing about 12 feet high.
What you’ll notice when you get there:
- The multicolored stones used to build the pyramid.
- The copper camel silhouette on top, which was added years later.
- A plaque detailing Ali’s service to the country.
- Small trinkets left by travelers (people love leaving coins or small stones).
Hi Jolly stayed in the Southwest after the Camel Corps disbanded. He tried his hand at mining and even ran a freighting business using some of the remaining camels. He eventually died in 1902 in Quartzsite, penniless but well-regarded. The locals liked him. He was a fixture of the desert. In 1935, the Arizona Highway Department built the monument that stands there now. It was actually the first historical marker ever placed in Arizona. Think about that for a second. Of all the gunslingers, explorers, and politicians in Arizona history, the first guy they decided to officially honor was a Greek-Syrian camel driver.
Why the Camel Corps Failed (And Why It Matters)
People often ask why we aren't all riding camels through Scottsdale today. It wasn't because the animals couldn't handle the terrain. They were perfect for it. The failure was purely human.
The American soldiers hated them. Camels don't behave like horses. If you annoy a camel, it spits. It bites. It groans. The cavalrymen didn't want to learn a new way of handling livestock. Plus, the legal logistics were a nightmare. After the Civil War started, the camels ended up in the hands of both Union and Confederate forces at different times, and neither side really knew what to do with them.
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There's a persistent legend that wild camels still roam the Arizona desert. You'll hear old-timers in Quartzsite swear their grandfathers saw them. While the last "official" sighting of a wild descendant of the Camel Corps was reportedly in the early 20th century (some say around 1941 near Douglas), it’s highly unlikely any remain today. But the ghost of the experiment lives on through Hi Jolly's Tomb in Quartzsite AZ.
Navigation and Timing for Your Visit
Quartzsite is a literal furnace in the summer. Don't go in July unless you enjoy suffering. The best time is between November and March. This is when the "Q" is in full swing.
Getting to the tomb is simple. It's on the west side of town, just off Main Street.
- Address: West Main Street and Hi Jolly Lane.
- Cost: Free.
- Parking: There’s plenty of room for even big rigs nearby.
While you're there, walk through the rest of the cemetery. It’s a fascinating look at the "Snowbird" culture and the pioneers who carved a life out of a place that really doesn't want humans to live there. You’ll see graves decorated with everything from expensive marble to piles of desert rocks and wind chimes.
The Real Legacy of Hadji Ali
We tend to romanticize the West as a place of cowboys and outlaws. But Hadji Ali represents the actual diversity of the frontier. He wasn't a gunslinger. He was an immigrant specialist who provided a vital service in an era when the desert was a death trap.
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When you stand in front of that pyramid, you’re looking at a bridge between the Middle East and the American West. It’s a reminder that the "Old West" was way more complicated and international than Hollywood movies let on. Ali never made it back to his homeland; he chose the Arizona dirt. He even married a local woman, Gertrude Serna, and had a family. He was part of the fabric of the community.
Practical Tips for the Quartzsite Traveler
If you’re making the trek, keep a few things in mind. First, Quartzsite is spread out. You’ll want a vehicle; walking from one end of town to the other in the sun is a mistake. Second, cell service can get spotty when the big gem shows are in town because the towers get overloaded by a million people trying to post photos of rocks at the same time.
Quick Checklist for the Trip:
- Bring water. Always.
- Wear sturdy shoes—the ground is mostly "desert pavement" (sharp rocks).
- Check out the "Main Event" or "Tyson Wells" shows if you're there in January.
- Stop by the Hi Jolly monument at sunset. The light hits the volcanic rock and makes the pyramid glow.
Actionable Next Steps for History Buffs
If you want to go deeper into this rabbit hole than just a quick photo op, there are a few things you should do. First, visit the Quartzsite Historical Museum (often called the "Hartley House"). It’s located just a short drive from the tomb. They have actual artifacts from the era and more detailed records of the town's mining history.
Second, read "The Last Camel Charge" by Bill Yenne. It’s probably the best-researched book on the Camel Corps and gives you the gritty details that the plaque at the tomb skips over.
Finally, if you’re driving back toward Phoenix, keep an eye out for the terrain in the Kofa National Wildlife Refuge. Looking at those jagged mountains makes it very clear why Jefferson Davis thought camels were the answer. The landscape hasn't changed, even if our mode of transport has.
Visiting Hi Jolly's Tomb in Quartzsite AZ takes maybe thirty minutes, but it stays with you. It’s a small, quiet tribute to a man and an idea that were just a little too weird for the 19th-century Army to handle. It's the kind of history that makes the desert feel alive.