Visitors to the Alamo got an early look at a little-known chapter of Texas history this weekend as the Texas Camel Corps brought camels to the historic grounds ahead of World Camel Day.

The event highlighted the U.S. Army's 1850s experiment with using camels to move supplies across the Southwest.

Camels were considered useful for the region because they could withstand extreme heat and required far less water than horses or mules.