U. S. Army Camel Corps The proposal to use camels for commerce and transportation in the arid southwest came about in the 1830s, but it was under U. S. Secretary of War Jefferson Davis that the idea became a reality. The first shipment of camels arrived on the Texas Gulf Coast in 1856, and they were taken to Camp Verde (150 mi. NE of here) for training. Several expeditions made their way west through Del Rio, and this park was the site of one of their camps. Although the officers in charge wrote favorably of the Camel Corps, the Civil War brought the experiment to a close. Confederate troops stationed at nearby Fort Hudson found camels still in the area, and confirmed sightings of wild camels continued into the mid-20th century. (2002)​

Doug Baum, a historical reenactor who is portraying himself as an American soldier in 1857 assigned to the U.S. Army Camel Corps, spoke at the 2002 historical marker dedication along with four of his camels.

Willie Braudaway, member of the Val Verde County Historical Commission, stands with the the U.S. Army Camel Corps historical marker, the first historical marker dedicated in Val Verde County since 1987.