Samuelson’s Rocks are this unique off the beaten path place inside Joshua Tree National Park. It is home to 7 big flat-side boulders that have philosophical and political thoughts carved into them. So here’s a quick history of how the Samuelson’s Rocks come about.
In 1926, John Samuelson, a native of Sweden, showed up on pioneer rancher Bill Keys’ doorstep looking for a job. Since help was rare in those days, Bill hired him to help around the ranch and in his gold mine near the overlook at Keys View.
The following year, Samuelson decided that he’d rather work for himself. He and his wife, Margaret built a small wood and canvas shack on a small hill in the middle of Lost Horse Valley. This was where Samuelson spent his free time carving philosophical and political thoughts on flat-faced rocks near his home.
As an uneducated man, the statements that Samuelson chiseled on the rocks contain many misspellings and grammatical errors. But I guess it makes them all more interesting.
Later in the same year, Samuelson attempted to file for homestead on his property. However, because he was not a U.S. citizen, the land office ruled that he could not legally hold the land’s title. Crushed, Samuelson soon sold his claim and moved to the Los Angeles area with his wife.
Unfortunately, his bad luck seems to follow him. In 1929, at a dance in Compton, he got into an argument with two men and ended up killing both of them. Because of this, Samuelson got arrested for murder. However, he never went to trial. He was declared insane and was sent to a state hospital in Mendocino.
Whether he was actually insane or not, no one knows for sure. In 1930, Samuelson escaped the facility and made his way to Washington State to evade the authorities. He found work here in the logging camps. In 1954, Bill Keys received a letter from Samuelson. In the letter, Samuelson wrote that he wanted to return to the desert but was afraid of being caught. Sometime after, Bill received official letters, informing that Samuelson had died from his injuries in a logging accident.
Although Samuelson’s home in Lost Horse Valley is no longer there, you still can see the carving of his unique declarations on life. They are displayed permanently on the granite faces of seven big boulders, sprinkled around the hillside. Samuelson was proud of his work. He knew that his “eternal verities” would be there for years, long after he was gone. So there you go, this is the History of Samuelson’s Rocks.
For more info about the adventure to Samuelson’s Rocks, click here.
Happy Adventuring. Don’t forget to follow us on Instagram, subscribe to our Youtube channel, and sign up for our newsletter!
