[199]       

Camels in Nevada

Lyon County
  39.23878, -119.59127

"Camels in Nevada. That's like Chinook in Oregon. Celebs in California. It must go hand-in-hand. A natural fit! A match made in sagebrush heaven! Not so actually. I knew this before even visiting this marker. Although we'd think camels would be a perfect fit here in our desert state, the cost of importing them just wasn't worth it. Camels did very well in Nevada's arid climate, but they couldn't compete with the good old equine. Man's other best friend. This marker reminds us of this experiment ... a common practice throughout Nevada's lifetime of trial and error." -- Journal Entry, June 2008

200 Pike Street -- Dayton
Access from Main, then left onto Pike Street

Original Date Visited: 6/17/08

Signed: No

  • Marker 199 in Old Town Dayton
  • The original Camel Barn and stable yard
  • Camels in Dayton

Exact Description:
Camels were imported into the United States for military purposes in the mid-1850's. Lt. Edward Beale of the U.S. Army tested the animals caravan operations in the deserts of the Southwest. The experiment was not successful and the camels were auctioned off. Some were brought here to haul wood and salt to the mines and mills of the Comstock. They were corralled behind this stone hay barn, known as the Leslie Hay Barn. Used extensively between Sacramento and Nevada points for some ten years, they were later abandoned to fend for themselves. Few were seen after the 1880's.

Next Marker:

HALL'S STATION/a>

Related Links & Markers

[104] -- The Camel Corps   Camels (Online Nevada Encyclopedia)   Camel Corps Experiment (US Army History)  

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