Bridges to Buttes Byway
Arthur Bowring Sandhills Ranch State Historical Park, NE

The Arthur Bowring Sandhills Ranch State Historical Park is devoted to preserving the history of the cattle industry in Nebraska of the late 1800s, especially in the unique Sandhills region. These grass-stabilized sand dunes provide some of the best grassland for raising cattle. The ranch house is preserved to show what life would have been like, and the outbuildings, such as the bunkhouse, barns, and corrals, also preserve the working way of life on a cattle ranch. The history of ranching in the area has played an important role. The ranch where the historical park is now was first ranched by Arthur Bowring in 1884. It started with 160 acres, and he added another 480 acres as a result of the Kincaid Act. He married Eva Kelly Forester in 1928. Both she and Arthur were committed to public service, and she served in Washington D.C. It was Eve who wished to preserve the history of cattle ranching in the Sandhills region, and artifacts and memorabilia from the lives of Arthur and Eve Bowring, as well as displays on the cattle industry may be seen at the Visitor's Center.