History Always Tells A Story

Sunday, December 7, 2025

Another day of opening our shades to blue skies, sunshine, and a little warmer temperatures. We started our day like the vast majority of them sitting and drinking coffee. Then we were off to Mass at Our Lady Queen of Peace Mission here in Quartzsite. After that home for a late lunch and not long after we spent a few hours enjoying Happy Hour in the open site between us and Patsy and Bill. 

Yesterday, Saturday, was pretty much a do nothing day. I did run over to Gem World for some beads I wanted but other than that not a lot happened. Just an ordinary relaxing sort of day. So with just a couple of pictures from today and none from yesterday I have decided to share some I have taken in this area and a few of a sad day in Escanaba, Michigan which is  where we are from.

If you spend any time riding around in Quartzsite one of the things you cannot miss are all of the camels around. In our travels we have seen cities with elk, buffalo, fish, and moose just to name a few but here in Quartzsite there are camels.

The reason: 

Hi Jolly was born in Syria in 1828 as Philip Tedro, an Ottoman subject of Syrian and Greek parentage. Upon converting to Islam and making a pilgrimage to Mecca, he became known as Hadji Ali (later Americanized to Hi Jolly). He migrated to the United States in 1856 after being recruited in Smyrna, Turkey by the US Army as a camel driver/tender. At the time, the United States Secretary of War Jefferson Davis wanted to try using camel transport to move people and freight over western deserts.

Under the command of Lt. Edward Fitzgerald Beale, the United States Camel Corps was initially a success. In June 1857, Hi Jolly was lead camel driver for a round trip between Texas and California. By 1859, however, only Hi Jolly and "Greek George" remained of the ten camel drivers originally hired. After the camel experiment ended, Hi Jolly remained in the southwest, where he became a prospector, desert guide, mail courier, and freight hauler.

Plaque in center of above monument.

Hi Jolly died in December 1902 in Quartzsite, Arizona and was buried there, the first grave in what became Hi Jolly Cemetery. Due to his popularity with the local citizens, they spent weeks building a pyramid monument over his grave made from multi-colored petrified wood and quartz. The cairn was dedicated on January 4, 1903.

In 1934, the Arizona Highway Department added a plaque with a synopsis of Hi Jolly's life and the metal silhouette of a camel. They also added a vault at the monument's base, in which they placed some memorabilia from Hi Jolly's life and the ashes of a camel named "Old Topsy", the last camel survivor of the experiment.

The plaque was dedicated in 1935 by Arizona governor Benjamin Moeur. The monument was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2011.

This is at the beginning of the path walking up to Hi Jolly's grave.

Below are a few of the camels around Quartzsite.

Escanaba, Michigan

The House of Ludington, pictures below, was built in 1864 by a lumber baron named Nelson Gaynor. He named the house the “Gaynor House." The house was originally located in the middle of Ludington Street, but was moved to its present location in 1868. In 1871 an addition was added to the East end of the building and renamed the Ludington House. It was said to be the largest hotel on the Peninsula.

The second owner, John Christie, purchased the hotel in 1883 and renamed it the New Ludington. He expanded what had been a wood structure and covered the facade with brick. He added a West Wing in 1903 and by 1910 the hotel had over 100 rooms. He also added a gift shop and ballroom downstairs. The hotel was one of the first to have electric, steam heat, and baths for $2.00 a day. The hotel exemplifies Queen Anne resort architecture, popular in the 1880s and 1890s.

A hidden stairwell strategically placed between windows with views of the sheriff’s department and courthouse — valuable for mobsters during Prohibition in the 1920s — led underground and to other reaches of town via steam tunnels. 

In 1937 the cocktail lounge was added replacing the inner courtyard where the bar is today.

Boston born, Pat Hayes bought the Ludington in 1939, and he truly put Escanaba on the map! He implemented many renovations to the house -- most notably the external glass-walled elevator, installed in 1959. Although the house started out with over 100 rooms, it now has only 25, because many were combined into apartments and suites.

Hayes worked many hours as host, chef, and manager at the House of Ludington. A bit of a character with a slight Irish temper, it is said that Pat Hayes refused to serve a well-done steak to any customer.

“The house that Pat built” is what the Detroit Magazine called the Ludington in a feature story written by Robert Traver, also known as John Voelker author of “Anatomy of a Murder.” Traver, an Ishpeming native, often stayed at the House of Ludington.

Beneath the basement of the hotel, tunnels and prohibition booze are still believed to be buried. Rumors claimed that Al Capone once stayed in the front turret of the building, and the ghost of Pat Hayes still cooks in the wee hours.

Some of the famous folks that have stayed at the House of Ludington are John Phillip Sousa, Prince Bertil of Sweden, Guy Lombardo, Henry Ford, Jimmy Hoffa, Patricia Neil and Johnny Cash.

It was listed in the State Register of Historic Sites in 1981

Since 1982, the hotel had undergone extensive remodeling and redecorating by owners Gerald and Vernice Lancour before being closed again in 1996. The next owners Edward and Suzell Eisenberger, with their two children, Kallie and Wyatt, reopened the hotel in 1998.

The current owner, Chicago businessman Gabor Zsolnay, bought the building in 2022, and it was reopened to the public in June 2023.

On December 5, 2025 residents of Escanaba watched as firefighters tried to save this Historical Landmark and beloved hotel. It was a shock to receive information from our daughter that this hotel was burning. Anyone who is from Escanaba I would guess has at least one fond memory connected to this hotel. I know Tom and I do with one regret instead of talking about it over the years we wish we had spent one or two nights there. At some point this summer we will be back in Escanaba and I wonder what the landscape at the end of Ludington Street will look like. It is hard to imagine it not being there.  

All the pictures below I, of course, found on the internet. 

I do not know who took this but what a beautiful picture.
The small one above in the right corner is from my collection
of pictures of Escanaba.

I know this section of today's blog is long with a history many of you reading this may not be interested in but it is part of where we are from and it was important for us to include it here.

The end of our day.

Happy Hour on Sunday. It was sunny when we sat down.
Left to right: Ken, Bill, Tom's chair, Deb, Kim, and Patsy.

The sun had already slipped behind the 
Dome Rock Mountains when I went to snap this.

Another good day as we continue this journey of life.

 If you have enjoyed the pictures I have put out there 

or the words I have added that makes me smile. 

If you have time to leave a comment they are always special to read. 

No matter what I am glad you stopped by!