Texas Camel Experiment

From 1856 to 1866, Texas was home to the little-known U.S. Army’s Texas Camel Experiment, a project that used camels to ferry supplies across the deserts of the Southwest. It came about because some in the U.S. military wondered that since camels thrive in deserts, why wouldn’t they do as well in arid portions of the American Southwest?

Doug Baum will discuss the history of this noble experiment at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, August 24, at the Allen Public Library.

Baum’s primary mission is to honor the 19th-century experiment to use camels as a freight-hauling system on the arid frontier. He will also discuss the ecology of camels and why the American southwest was a supportive habitat for them. 

As the owner and operator of Texas Camel Corps since 1997, Baum’s business activities include guided camel excursions in the Big Bend region of Texas and guided tours in Egypt, Jordan, Morocco, India, and Kenya. An award-winning documentary filmmaker, he and his camels have been featured in Texas Monthly, Texas Highways, Smithsonian Magazine, and National Geographic.

Admission is free and the program will be streamed live on ACTV. Find viewing options at Watch ACTV or view online at ACTV.org or YouTube.com/AllenCityTV.

The library is located at 300 N. Allen Dr. Call 214-509-4911 for additional information.