Staff report
The Texas Camel Corps will be at Coronado Historic Site in Bernalillo on April 12 at 10 a.m.
The family-friendly event, presented by New Mexico Historic Sites and The Friends of Coronado and Jemez Historic Sites, will feature activities such as tinsmith, coiled pottery, silversmith, and leather demonstrations, storytelling, and talks by Doug Baum, owner/operator of Texas Camel Corps.
Visitors will get the chance to learn about the history of camels in New Mexico up close and personal with the help and guidance of Baum.
“The Friends of Coronado and Jemez Historic Sites are thrilled to bring Texas Camel Corps to the Site and provide an interactive, educational but fun experience for the public and our members,” said Friends President Sherry Hardage. “Where else are you able to touch and see a camel up close?”
The history of these desert wanderers has interesting ties to the southwest that will be explored during this event.
Their role during the 1850s Gold Rush by the U.S. Army “to find pack animals that could haul gold and supplies while surviving water scarcity” led to bringing camels from Egypt and Turkey to Texas.
In the 19th-century experiment, surveyors tasked with building a 1,000-mile road from Arkansas to California made several stops through New Mexico in places such as Las Cruces, Los Lunas, Albuquerque, Laguna Pueblo, and what is known as El Morro National Monument with 25 camels.
Admission is $10 per person and free for children 16 and younger, Friends of Coronado and Jemez members, Museum of New Mexico Foundation members, Native/Tribal affiliations, NM disabled veterans, and NM foster families.
To purchase tickets, visit the New Mexico Department of Cultural Affairs website. Tickets can also be purchased in-person at the day of the event.