From 1857 to 1860 Lt. Edward F. Beale and a crew of 100 men built the first federal highway in the southwest. The 1857 Beale Expedition used 22 camels and dromedaries for pack animals. This road went from Fort Smith, Arkansas to Los Angeles, California at a cost of $210,000. The Beale Wagon Road was used by military troops and emigrants en route to California. Herds of cattle and sheep were driven over the route until 1883.
