Keys Desert Queen Ranch Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids
Keys Desert Queen Ranch
U.S. National Register of Historic Places
U.S. Historic district


Location in California Show map of California Location in the United States Show map of the United States
Location	Joshua Tree National Park, San Bernardino County, California, USA
Nearest city	Twentynine Palms, California
Built	1894
Architect	Bill McHaney, William F. Keys
NRHP reference No.	75000174
Added to NRHP	October 30, 1975

The Keys Ranch is a special historic place inside Joshua Tree National Park. It shows how early settlers lived and worked in the desert. The ranch was built by a resourceful man named Bill Keys. He lived there from about 1910 until he passed away in 1964.

Bill Keys made a living by both ranching and mining. He built many small buildings on the ranch. These buildings helped him and his family survive in the tough desert environment.

Who Was Bill Keys?
Life at the Ranch
Ranch Buildings and Tools
- Mining Equipment
- Other Structures
Visiting Keys Ranch
Images for kids
See also

Who Was Bill Keys?

William F. Keys was born in Nebraska in 1879. He worked different jobs, like a ranch hand. Later, he became a deputy sheriff in Arizona. In 1910, Bill Keys arrived in the Twentynine Palms, California area.

He met a local person named Jim McHaney. Bill Keys helped take care of Jim McHaney when he was sick. After McHaney passed away, Bill Keys took over his land. He slowly made it bigger, and it became known as the Desert Queen Ranch. The name came from a nearby mine called the Desert Queen Mine.

Life at the Ranch

Bill Keys married Francis M. Lawton in 1918. They had seven children together. Sadly, three of their children passed away and were buried at the ranch.

Life in the desert was not always easy. Bill Keys faced many challenges. At one point, he was involved in a serious disagreement. This led to him spending some time away from the ranch. During this time, he studied a lot in the library. He was able to return to his ranch in 1950. Later, he received a special pardon in 1956. This happened with help from Erle Stanley Gardner, a famous author.

Ranch Buildings and Tools

The Keys Ranch has many interesting buildings and tools. These show how people lived and worked long ago.

Mining Equipment

Bill Keys used different machines to process ore from his mines. Some of these include:

an arrastra: a simple mill that used animals to drag heavy stones and crush ore.
a stamp mill: a machine with heavy stamps that crushed rocks to get out minerals like gold.

Other Structures

The ranch also has other important buildings:

an adobe barn: a building made from sun-dried mud bricks.
a schoolhouse: where the Keys children learned.
a tack shed: for storing horse equipment.
a machine shed: for tools and vehicles.
a cemetery: where family members were buried.
various houses and cabins: for living and working.

Panorama of the ranch yard

Visiting Keys Ranch

Today, you can visit Keys Ranch. Park rangers offer guided walking tours. These tours usually happen from October through May. The tours are limited in size, so it's a good idea to book your spot in advance. It's a great way to learn about life in the desert long ago!