Texas and the West from Kenston Rare Books

Item 48 is an account of a novel attempt in the 1850s to provide transportation across the desert land that is West Texas: Texas Camel Tales, Incidents Growing Up Around an Attempt by the War Department of the United States to Foster an Uninterrupted Flow of Commerce through Texas by the Use of Camels. It seemed logical enough. West Texas has more in common with the Sahara than the population centers of the East. In 1856, 30 camels were brought to Texas, and in the next few years the program had moderate success. However, after the Civil War, the iron camel, better known as the railroad, took over the area's transportation needs. This book by Chris Emmett was published in 1932. $650.

This would have been a spectacular tourist trip in 1890. Item 38 is a booklet published by the Denver & Rio Grande Rail Road: “Around the Circle”: One Thousand Miles Through the Rocky Mountains. It was a trip that took you from Denver to the Garden of the Gods, Royal Gorge, up the mountains to Silverton, over to Ouray, on to the Black Canyon and eventually back to Denver. However, there was one piece missing. There were no tracks over the dangerous pass from Silverton to Ouray, something of a white-knuckle drive even today over the Million Dollar Highway. Back then, tourists had to make the connection by stage, which must have been even more exciting. Item 38. $150.

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