The ranch of Arthur and Eve Bowring in the sandhills near Merriman was a gift to the Nebraska Game and Parks Foundation.  Visitors can see a working ranch that was homesteaded by Arthur in1894.  The Visitors Center contains historic photos and exhibits showing how ranching has changed since the early days. Their home, which has been left unchanged since Eve Bowrings death in 1985, is also open for tours. A replica of a sod house that belonged to Arthur Bowring's father, Henry, has been constructed on the ranch.  The walls are two feet thick.  Snakes were spotted in the cracks between the sod.  We were told that the snakes were welcomed visitors because they ate mice. Mrs. Ardith Morton, dressed in pioneer clothing, gave us a taste of pioneer cooking and stories about the Bowring family.  Many of the items in the two room home came to Nebraska with the Henry Bowring family. Arthur Bowring started with 160 acres from the Homestead Act. The ranch now  consists of 7,202 acres.