Ever wonder what ranch life was like during the settlement of the Sandhills in the late 1800's? A visit to the Arthur Bowring Sandhills State Historical Park will let you see first-hand how ranch life has changed from the Homestead and Kinkaid Act era to present day ranching. Located just north of Merriman, Nebraska, which is 60 miles west of Valentine on Highway 20, the Bowring Ranch is Nebraska's only living history ranch. Upon donating the ranch to the Nebraska Game and Parks Foundation, Arthur's wife, Eve, stipulated that her home and collections, part of her Hereford cattle bloodline, and the ranch grounds be kept intact as a living history museum to show future generations what a working Sandhills ranch is all about.
To learn more about the history of ranching in this area, as well as the fascinating lives of Arthur and Eve Bowring, visit the Eve Bowring Visitor Center located on the park grounds. On display are many personal items and collections of the Bowring's, as well as tools and equipment used throughout the years on this historical ranch. Through the many displays and exhibits, and a film shown at the center, visitors come away with a true sense of ranch life in the Sandhills, as well as a knowledge of the history of ranching and the Wild West that brought this area to what it is today.