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Vol 8, No 189

July 8, 1855

Sunday Evening

Texas to get Camel Brigade

Born This Date
Future Senator Phil Gramm born
COLLEGE STATION   (1942)    On this date in 1942, Future Congressman and US Senator Phil Gramm was born. Gramm had a lengthy career in education before entering politics.

Army Camel Experiment
SAN ANTONIO (1855)  On this date in 1855, the US Military established Camp Verde (Kerr County) as the headquarters for a Camel Expedition. It was hoped that Camels would be able to travel farther and require less food and water than a traditional horse brigade.
   Within a year, the first camels were unloaded from the Middle East, and taken to Camp Verde. Camp Verde store between Kerrville and Comfort still stands as a reminder of this chapter in Texas history.

Political Desk
Stephen F Austin arrives in Mexico City
MEXICO CITY  (1833)   On this date in 1833, Stephen F Austin arrived in Mexico City with the proposal of the Convention of 1833 in which delegates petitioned for Texas to become a separate state from Coahuila. However, before he could get the Mexican government to act on the proposal, and possibly agree to it, Austin himself was arrested.

Railroads Desk
New Railroad Bridge completed over the Brazos
HOUSTON  (1869)   On this date in 1869, the Brazos Iron Bridge Association completed a new permanent bridge across the Brazos River to accomodate the Buffalo Bayou, Brazos and Colorado Railroad.
     The bridge association was created specifically to finance and build this bridge. The following year, this bridge, the railroad and another small railroad were merged to form the Galveston, Harrisburg and San Antonio Railway.
   Within 25 years, this line would carry passenger service from New Orleans to the West Coast as the Texas part of the Southern Pacific Railroad.