Great Camel Experiment - Camp Verde

 
 
 
  We took our friend Lewis to Kerrville TX for an eye Dr appointment. Kerrville is northwest of San Antonio, in the Texas Hill Country, my favorite part of Texas. On the way back, we stopped to see Camp Verde, site of the U.S. War Dept Camel Experiment 0f 1857-1869. These days, Camp Verde is a nice little general store and post office.
In the 1800's it was an Army Post. Secretary of War Jefferson Davis was dealing with the aftermath of the expense of the 1848 Mexican Cessation. Davis along with many others, accepted the prevalent Great American Desert thesis which held that much of the western U.S. was virtually inhabitable. Davis urged Congress to appropriate money to test the value and efficiency of camels in the southwest as a partial solution to pressing needs of transportation. $30,000 was appropriated. In 1856, 33 camels arrived at Indianola TX from North Africa along with three Arabs and two Turks. The camels were finally located at Camp Verde where several successful experiments were made to test the camel's utility in pursuit of Indians and transportation of burdens. The camels carried as much as 300 pounds, traveled miles without water and ate almost any kind of plant. A second group of 41 camels arrived at Camp Verde in 1857. During the Civil War, 80 camels and two Egyptian drivers passed into Confederate hands. Eventually some of the camels were turned loose and soon were widely scattered. Some were used to pack cotton bales to Brownsville. In 1866 the federal government sold camels at auction.
The failure of the camel in the U.S. was not due to its capability -- every test showed it to be a superior transport animal. It was instead the nature of the beasts which led to their demise. They smelled horrible, frightened horses and were detested by handlers accustomed to the more docile mules.
The camels were misunderstood and frequently mistreated. Rumor has it that camels caused cattle stampedes and were often shot by ranchers. There was a rumored camel sighting in the Arizona desert in 1975.

On the way back to Hondo, we stopped for lunch in Bandera, "Cowboy Capitol of Texas". We ate at the O.S.T. (old Spanish trail) cafe. You can see some of the decor - very western with saddles for barstools. Good food and interesting ambiance.