Front Street is a cafe, saloon and museum depicting frontier life.Crystal Palace Saloon was THE place to be for cards and drinks.Sam Bass famously robbed a train in Big SpringsFrontier apothecary bottlesThe Cheyenne, Arapaho and Sioux were the principal Indian tribes in Western Nebraska.UndertakerBarbershopSheriff’s officeJailFrontier kitchen
Ash Hollow was famous on the Oregon Trail (early 1800s). The hollow was entered by Windlass Hill. Wagons had to be eased down its steep slope by ropes. Travelers usually stopped here for several days for its water, wood and grass.Many wagons travelled this deep ravine.These ruts from the 1800s are still visible today.Pioneer Homestead sod house at Windlass HillLocals still leave their boots on fence posts.Views from Ash Hollow Storm brewing on the horizon.Local residents built this stone schoolhouse in 1903. From 5 to 12 students attended this school until 1919.Ash Hollow Cave is a niche in a bluff wall, which became a rock shelter for various groups of prehistoric people, including most recently the Dismal River people, who are the ancestors of the Apache people. The cave is behind glass for protection.
The “Morning Glory” – see from the marks on the Morning Glory the water level is down.Very cloudy and rainy the day we were there.Years ago this blue wall was surrounded by water.
The little town of Keystone was not able to afford to build two church buildings, so in 1908 they built a Combined Catholic and Protestant church. Today it is only used for special occasions like weddings.Each end of the church is an altar – this is the Protestant altar.The pews are reversible – the back flips to change direction.Catholic altar.Catholic end of the church.Original windows
