Bowring Ranch State Historical Park is a

state park State parks are parks or other protected areas managed at the sub-national level within those nations which use "state" as a political subdivision. State parks are typically established by a state to preserve a location on account of its natural ...

Nebraska Nebraska () is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States. It is bordered by South Dakota to the north; Iowa to the east and Missouri to the southeast, both across the Missouri River; Kansas to the south; Colorado to the southwe ...

, USA, interpreting the ranching heritage of the Sand Hills region and the lives of former owners

Arthur Arthur is a common male given name of Brittonic languages, Brythonic origin. Its popularity derives from it being the name of the legendary hero King Arthur. The etymology is disputed. It may derive from the Celtic ''Artos'' meaning “Bear”. An ...

and

Eva Bowring Eva Bowring (née Kelly; January 9, 1892January 8, 1985) was a U.S. Senator from Nebraska. Bowring was born in Nevada, Missouri. In 1928, she married Arthur Bowring. They made their home at the Bowring Ranch near Merriman in Cherry County, Nebr ...

(the first female

U.S. Senator The United States Senate is the upper chamber of the United States Congress, with the House of Representatives being the lower chamber. Together they compose the national bicameral legislature of the United States. The composition and powe ...

from

). The park is north of Merriman in Cherry County, near the

South Dakota South Dakota (; Sioux language, Sioux: , ) is a U.S. state in the West North Central states, North Central region of the United States. It is also part of the Great Plains. South Dakota is named after the Lakota people, Lakota and Dakota peo ...

border. The ranch was founded in 1894. Arthur and Eva met when her car broke down near his ranch and he came to her assistance. They married in 1928 and kept the ranch running while each served in a variety of public offices. Eva Bowring maintained ranch operations on her own from Arthur's death in 1944 to her own in 1985. Concerned that it would be fragmented to new owners, the former Senator willed her ranch to the state in memory of her husband. The ranch continues to be operated as a working

Hereford Hereford () is a cathedral city, civil parish and the county town of Herefordshire, England. It lies on the River Wye, approximately east of the border with Wales, south-west of Worcester and north-west of Gloucester. With a population ...

cattle Cattle (''Bos taurus'') are large, domesticated, cloven-hooved, herbivores. They are a prominent modern member of the subfamily Bovinae and the most widespread species of the genus ''Bos''. Adult females are referred to as cows and adult mal ...

ranch. The ranch house and outbuildings have been preserved, and a large visitor center documenting the Bowrings' lives is on the site.

References

External links

Bowring Ranch State Historical Park
Nebraska Game and Parks Commission {{authority control Biographical museums in Nebraska Historic house museums in Nebraska Houses in Nebraska Museums in Cherry County, Nebraska State parks of Nebraska Protected areas established in 1987 Protected areas of Cherry County, Nebraska Ranches in Nebraska 1987 establishments in Nebraska