Camp Verde: Texas Frontier Defense (Landmarks)

Camp Verde: Texas Frontier Defense (Landmarks)

The Verde Valley--the seemingly easy route to west Texas--was in fact a land of peril, adventure and near mythic heroes. Historic Camp Verde has long been a strategic stronghold guarding the pass, the valley and the many trails converging at this river crossing. As frontiersmen and settlers pushed through the pass and Native Americans responded with violent force, the famed Texas Rangers attempted to control the region. Officially established in 1856, the camp would become the testing ground for the army's Camel Experiment and an outpost for Robert E. Lee's legendary Second U.S. Cavalry. Join local historian Joseph Luther as he narrates the tumultuous and uniquely Texan history of Camp Verde. Joseph Luther is a sixth-generation Texan who lives in Kerrville, Texas. He earned his doctorate at Texas A&M University and is a professor emeritus of the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, where he taught for twenty-three years, serving as associate dean of the College of Architecture. He also taught for ten years at Eastern Washington University. An enthusiastic avocational archaeologist and historian, Dr. Luther is a member of the Hill Country Archeological Association and is their web master (hcarcheology.org). He is also an active member of the Texas State Historical Association, the Texas Archeological Society, the South Texas Archeological Association and the Historical Archeology Association. Dr. Luther is a correspondent to the Kerrville Daily Times and has written a number of articles about local history.