Bowring Ranch State Historical Park
Encyclopedia
Bowring Ranch State Historical Park is a state park
of Nebraska
, USA, interpreting the ranching heritage of the Sand Hills
region and the lives of former owners Arthur and Eva Bowring
(the first female U.S. Senator from Nebraska
). The park is located north of Merriman
in Cherry County
, near the South Dakota
border.
The ranch was originally 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
cattle
ranch. The ranch house and outbuildings have been preserved, and a large visitor center documenting the Bowrings' lives is on the site.
State park
State parks are parks or other protected areas managed at the federated state 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 beauty, historic interest, or recreational...
of Nebraska
Nebraska
Nebraska is a state on the Great Plains of the Midwestern United States. The state's capital is Lincoln and its largest city is Omaha, on the Missouri River....
, USA, interpreting the ranching heritage of the Sand Hills
Sand Hills (Nebraska)
The Sand Hills, often written Sandhills, is a region of mixed-grass prairie on grass-stabilized sand dunes in north-central Nebraska, covering just over one quarter of the state...
region and the lives of former owners Arthur and Eva Bowring
Eva Bowring
Eva Kelly Bowring 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, Nebraska....
(the first female U.S. Senator from Nebraska
Nebraska
Nebraska is a state on the Great Plains of the Midwestern United States. The state's capital is Lincoln and its largest city is Omaha, on the Missouri River....
). The park is located north of Merriman
Merriman, Nebraska
Merriman is a village in Cherry County, Nebraska, United States. The population was 118 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Merriman is located at ....
in Cherry County
Cherry County, Nebraska
Cherry County is unusual in being split between two time zones, Mountain Time and Central Time. The lines between the two runs roughly north to south along the eastern third of the county. Cherry County is also the location of the Valentine National Wildlife Refuge, the Fort Niobrara National...
, near the South Dakota
South Dakota
South Dakota is a state located in the Midwestern region of the United States. It is named after the Lakota and Dakota Sioux American Indian tribes. Once a part of Dakota Territory, South Dakota became a state on November 2, 1889. The state has an area of and an estimated population of just over...
border.
The ranch was originally 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 (cattle)
Hereford cattle are a beef cattle breed, widely used both in intemperate areas and temperate areas, mainly for meat production.Originally from Herefordshire, England, United Kingdom, more than five million pedigree Hereford Cattle now exist in over 50 countries...
cattle
Cattle
Cattle are the most common type of large domesticated ungulates. They are a prominent modern member of the subfamily Bovinae, are the most widespread species of the genus Bos, and are most commonly classified collectively as Bos primigenius...
ranch. The ranch house and outbuildings have been preserved, and a large visitor center documenting the Bowrings' lives is on the site.