Desert Messenger

Page 12 Hi Jolly Cemetery's Pioneers Who Were They? By Dinice Ross, Hi Jolly Cemetery, Records/Historian Fred Kuehn and his wife Elsie became two of the founding pioneers in the de- velopment and growth of what was to become Quartzsite. With their positive spirit and belief in the future they forged the beginning of a new modern era. Headstone reads: HUSBAND Fred's mother Viktoria, father Stephen Kuehn and two brothers made the voy- age to America looking for a better life in 1888. On the voyage to America Fred was born (some censes record Fred as being born on American soil). Shortly after coming to America and landing in New York City, Fred's father Ste- phen died of pneumonia. After find- Buried: Hi Jolly Pioneer Cemetery, Plot 102. MAY 27, 1888-MAR.13, 1978 Born: On the Voyage to America. Died: Blythe, Ca. Nursing Home at age 90. FRED V. KUEHN www.DesertMessenger.com ing herself with no resources, Viktoria contacted Stephen's Uncle Michael Welz at Tyson's Well, Arizona. Fred, his mother and two brothers, trav- eled from New York City to Yuma and then on to Tyson's Well so his mother could help Uncle Mike with the Stage Station and cook for the stage passen- gers. Here she met and married Anton Hagely and had three more children: John (George), Theresa and Emilia. As a child of six, Fred remembered his job was to watch the bread bake in the outdoor oven, and calling his mother when the color was just right. At age 11 Fred became a freighter, hauling freight from the Hagely Store in Quartzsite to Congress Junction and on to Yuma. As a teen-ager, he carried the mail on horseback twice a week between Ehrenberg and the newly-named Quartzsite Post Office at Ingersoll's Mill, (about 1 mile up Moon Mountain Road). On the days he spent in Ehrenberg waiting for the mail, he went to school. When he was older, he hauled freight with a four-horse team in all directions; to Ehrenberg and the steamer landing, to the railroad towns of Bouse and Vicksburg, to Congress Junction on the Phoenix-Ashfork line, site, a Studebaker. It was used when he bought it from A.J. Eddy in Bouse. Eddy had used it to drive around "money men" from the east to look at the mines in and around Quartz- site. Fred continued the practice; he charged $10 a mile. Fred named his car EMF (Every Morning Fred). 1911 Fred married Elsie Wilson (Elsie was very civic minded. She maintained records for Hi Jolly Cemetery and was clerk of the court for many years) and they built Tamarack Lodge - their home and four rental cabins, on the north side of the main road through Quartzsite. The house was built of adobe, which was approximately 12 inches thick. The tin roof was shaded by a grove of drooping tamarack trees. Under the tin roofing was a second roof made of wood that helped to diminish the hottest of the desert's sunshine. In 1912 Fred obtained the franchise to the King of Arizona mine and on to Yuma. Fred had the second car in Quartz- for a telephone line from Quartzsite to the railroad at Bouse. Fred put up the line himself using cottonwood poles. There were two phones in Bouse on this line; one at the Burke Hotel and June 13, 2012 one at the Depot. The Quartzsite phone was at Hagely's store. Later, an open- air booth was put up in front of Fred and Elsie's house. During rainy weath- er the phones didn't work. Telegrams and phone calls were .50 cents each. In 1912 he was appointed deputy and constable and held that position for 42 years, retiring in 1954. During prohi- bition, when a bootlegger was caught, the car and whiskey would be confis- cated. The standard fine was $500. Constable Fred had a pile of broken purpled glass in his yard - the remains of evidence destroyed on the spot. Jan 5 1920 - owned his home free of mortgage, working as a cattleman. They maintained six hand-dug wells with windmills that were strung along the Tyson Wash, keeping the troughs full for their open-range cattle and other wildlife on the desert. At one time they had over 750 head of cattle. 1923 - occupation - store owner. Feb 28. 1924 – he homesteaded 80 acres. Jun 5 1917 – occupation - Stock Grower & Peace Officer. SEE KUEHN PAGE 19 Sign Them Up To Be a Superhero Sign Them Up for an EXCITING Vacation Bible Camp!! The Youth Group at the Alliance Church is Looking for 1/2 Day Work Projects This Summer June 25th-29th What's it Cost You? Nothing! When? Call Jeremiah Holcombe Today 928-916-9571 Sponsored by the Alliance Church of Quartzsite Where? Quartzsite Alliance Church When? June 25th – June 29th 3:30pm – 5pm Cost? Free to You! Call 928-916-9571 to Reserve Your Child's Cape Today

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