Camel illustration from the original history article; not a historic photograph.
Before cars kicked up dust on Highway 173 and Hill Country ranchers ran cattle through these limestone hills, the U.S. Army tried something different. In 1856, just outside Kerrville, Camp Verde became home to one of the strangest military experiments in American history: the U.S. Camel Corps. The idea came from Secretary of War Jefferson Davis, who believed camels might handle the heat, drought, and rocky terrain of the Southwest better than horses or mules.
Congress approved the plan, and soon 34 camels were shipped from the Middle East to Texas. They arrived with fanfare, and a whole lot of doubt. The soldiers at Camp Verde didn’t know what to make of them. The camels spit, smelled terrible, and had a habit of scaring the horses half to death. But there was no denying their strength. They could carry over 600 pounds and go days without water.
On long hauls, they outperformed traditional pack animals. Still, the men didn’t warm up to them. Camels are stubborn and proud, and not easily trained. It’s hard to bond with something that stares at you like it’s judging your life choices. Then the Civil War hit. Confederate forces took over Camp Verde, and after the war, the Camel Corps lost its funding. Some camels were auctioned off, others escaped.
For years afterward, folks claimed to see wild camels wandering the Texas hills. One was even spotted near Alpine as late as 1902. Today, Camp Verde is a peaceful place with a charming general store and a bronze camel out front. It’s a quiet reminder that this part of Texas has always been open to bold ideas, even if they come with humps. Because here in the Hill Country, the truth is often just as strange and wonderful as the legends.
By Matthew Willis · From the January 2026 issue.