BEALE WAGON ROAD HISTORIC TRAIL
BEALE WAGON ROAD HISTORIC TRAIL Kaibab National Forest Laws Spring Way back in the mid-1800s a hardy battalion of 4-legged "ships of the desert" helped to blaze a passage through the Southwestern wilderness. It was Lt. Edward F. Beale who bestowed the noble title upon 22 camels imported from the Middle East to help survey the unforgiving landscape for a highway into the newly acquired Western territory. The Beale expedition team of 1857-59 had high hopes for the humped beasts that were hailed for their strength and tenacity. Although their work ethic did pan out as advertised, they didn't win any popularity contests among workers because of their smell, spitting habits and cranky temperaments. Hence, they were retired from government service after the project was completed. Camel motif on Beale Wagon Road trail post Although short-lived, the work of the lanky creatures is memorialized on wooden posts bearing their image along the original rough cut, 10-foot-wide trail ...