Felicity is an

unincorporated community An unincorporated area is a region that is not governed by a local municipal corporation. Widespread unincorporated communities and areas are a distinguishing feature of the United States and Canada. Most other countries of the world either have ...

in Imperial County,

California California is a state in the Western United States, located along the Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the most populous U.S. state and the 3rd largest by area. It is also the m ...

. The town was established in 1986 by Jacques-Andre Istel. Istel first bought the land in the 1950s and later developed it in the 1980s after selling off his parachute business. The town is "Dedicated to Remembrance" and named for Istel's wife Felicia. It is 2,600 acres and lies at an elevation of 285 feet (87 m). It is accessible from Interstate 8 in the far southeast of the state, just west of Yuma,

Arizona Arizona ( ; nv, Hoozdo Hahoodzo ; ood, Alĭ ṣonak ) is a state in the Southwestern United States. It is the 6th largest and the 14th most populous of the 50 states. Its capital and largest city is Phoenix. Arizona is part of the Fou ...

. The

Quechan The Quechan (or Yuma) ( Quechan: ''Kwatsáan'' 'those who descended') are a Native American tribe who live on the Fort Yuma Indian Reservation on the lower Colorado River in Arizona and California just north of the Mexican border. Despite th ...

Tribe of the

Fort Yuma Indian Reservation The Fort Yuma Indian Reservation is a part of the traditional lands of the Quechan people. Established in 1884 from the former Fort Yuma, the reservation, at , has a land area of in southeastern Imperial County, California, and western Yuma Coun ...

is located nearby. During

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...

, the town was the site of

Camp Pilot Knob The Camp Pilot Knob was a sub camp of the US Army, Desert Training Center in Imperial County, California. The main headquarters for the Desert Training Center was Camp Young, this is where General Patton's 3rd Armored Division was stationed. ...

, the US Army's training center. The town's key features are a 21-foot-tall stone-and-glass pyramid, a church on a man-made hill, and the Museum of History in Granite, which Istel has been developing since the town's founding. The museum consists of dozens of granite panels, most of them over 100 feet long and weighing approximately 500 pounds. Etched on the panels is a historical record of humanity as chronicled by Istel. The lead artist on the project is Gene Britton. In May 1985, the Imperial County Board of Supervisors designated Felicity as the Official Center of the World. File:Center of the world pyramid.JPG, The pyramid houses the official center point. File:Felicity1.jpg, Entrance to Center of the World Plaza

References

External links

Roadside America article

The church on the hill at Felicity

A strange museum at the centre of the world
{{authority control Unincorporated communities in Imperial County, California Populated places established in 1986 1986 establishments in California Unincorporated communities in California