Snippets of Keys Ranch: Joshua Tree National Park...

A wanderer of the Southwest for most of his early life, Bill Keys arrived in Twentynine Palms at the age of 30.  He was made superintendant of the Desert Queen Mine, but the company operating the mine went bankrupt. 

In lieu of back-pay, Keys was given the deed to the mine, and he then built a ranch on 160 acres of homesteaded land.

It was a rough life.

The light coming through the gaps in the wooden walls of a workshop at Keys Ranch shines on this old coil of hose.

Close-up of an old trunk inside the workshop at Keys Ranch.

More to come...