Camel Train in Nevada

Woodcut engraving of the June 30, 1877 edition of Harper’s Weekly.

As described by a reproduced caption accompanying the print, the U.S. Army first experimented with camels in the southwest in the late 1850’s. From their initial population, a small herd grew throughout the state and some were used as pack animals by salt miners. However, legislation against camels on roads (don’t want to spook the horses), passed in 1885 and effectively killed the camel as a commercial alternative.

Wood engraving after a sketch by Paul Frenzeny for Harper’s Weekly. Frenzeny (1840 – 1902) and Jules Tavernier (1844-1889) were commissioned by Harper’s to record their impressions of the American West, resulting in nearly 100 published illustrations. Ref: Chalmers “Chronicling the West For Harper’s Coast to Coast”