Quality of Life
Like many Nebraska communities, Ogallala and the Keith
County area provide a wealth of recreational and quality of
life opportunities. Outdoor enthusiasts will enjoy one of many
area attractions and recreational activities. Families are proud
to raise their children in an environment that promotes high scholastic
achievement as well as a healthy lifestyle. Quality health care
is also available throughout the county.
Recreation
Keith County and Lake
McConaughy, described as "Nebraska's Western Oasis,"
reign as Nebraska's recreation capital with Lake McConaughy ranking
as Nebraska's # 1 vacation destination!
For more than a hundred years, Ogallala has ranked among the state's top tourism communities. As far back as the 1870's, Ogallala was a booming, bustling community. Today, the dance hall hostesses still kick up their heels during the nightly show at Ogallala's Front Street, a western and historical attraction financed by members of the business community and designed to replicate the Trail Drive era. The cast of the Crystal Palace Revue - comprised of high school and college students - present a family show each night during the summer season at Nebraska's longest running summer theater. Besides the Crystal Palace Revue, Front Street has a free western museum, a restaurant serving real buffalo burgers and steaks, McKenzie’s Photography & Gifts clothing, ranch memorabilia and gift shop, and the Kenfield Brothers Petrified Wood Gallery, one of Keith County's treasures and one of Nebraska's unsung treasures. Twins Howard and Harvey Kenfield donated their collection of more than 45 years to the community. The Gallery is a museum of natural history specializing in ancient woods.
Because of its western heritage, Ogallala has been designated
Nebraska's "Cowboy Capital" by the Nebraska State
Historical Society. Ogallala's first cemetery, Boot Hill,
is now an historic park and is also a tombstone history of Ogallala.
Ogallala's Mansion on the Hill, built of brick kilned
in Ogallala in 1887, is now operated as a Victorian period residence.
It is owned and maintained by the Keith County Historical Society.
The gem that draws most visitors to Keith County is gigantic
Lake McConaughy. The lake boasts 100 miles of shoreline
of white sand beaches and 30,000 surface acres of clear blue waters
and some of the best walleye fishing in the nation. The lake is
a mecca for sailboat and sailboarding enthusiasts as well as fishermen
and campers. Concessionaires around the lake offer restaurants,
lodging, boat rentals, convenience/grocery stores, guide services,
jet-ski rentals, scuba diving, and RV camp grounds.
Keith County has two golf courses - WestWind Golf Course,
an 18-hole course in Ogallala and Bayside Golf, a challenging
new 18-hole course at Lake McConaughy, which includes a new log
cabin clubhouse. There is an outdoor swimming pool and an indoor
pool in Ogallala, as well as an outdoor pool in Paxton.
In addition to nine parks covering 50 acres with 10 ball fields
(seven lighted), six tennis courts and four parks with playground
equipment, recreational activities in Keith County include Cornhusker
Lanes Bowling Alley, the Goodall Recreation Center, the Prairie Theater and Goodall
Public Library.
Area Attractions
- Historic Haythorn Ranch, home of Figure Four Traditions
Event Center, is a 7,200 square foot facility which is available
for rental and catering for receptions, weddings, reunions,
business meetings, conventions, etc. The ranch also offers group
wagon rides and chuck wagon dinners. The Haythorn Ranch is the
largest breeder of the American Quarter Horse in the United
States.
- Ole's Big Game Steakhouse & Lounge - Nebraska's
best-known watering hole features hundreds of pictures and memorabilia
which share the rustic knotty pine walls with more than 200
trophy heads of North American and African Big Game. A hunting
lodge and corporate retreat south of Paxton has been added to
Ole's complex.
- Kingsley Dam - Impounding the North Platte River for
irrigation and power generation, the dam is three and one half
miles long and 162 feet high. It is 1,100 feet thick at the
base.
- Kingsley Hydroplant - Owned by Central Nebraska Public
Power & Irrigation District, the state's largest irrigation
system was financed by Nebraska Public Power District.
- Clear Creek Waterfowl Management Area - Located at
the west end of Lake McConaughy it attracts large numbers of
Canada geese, which can be hunted on the controlled shooting
area and much of the lake.
- The Eagle-Viewing facility of Central Nebraska Public
Power & Irrigation District is open from January through
early March when bald eagles congregate in large numbers below
Kingsley Dam on Lake Ogallala.
- The little Catholic-Protestant Church at Keystone -
Built in 1908, the church is monument to religious harmony.
It was built in a pioneer town too small for two churches. It
has a Roman Catholic altar at one end, a Protestant altar at
the other end, with reversible pews, which can face either altar.
- A popular event at Lake McConaughy is the annual Kites
and Castles, which draws visitors and competitors from several
states.
- In addition to area county fairs and rodeos, annual festivals
include Brule Arts in the Park, Brule Days, the Paxton Labor
Day Celebration and the Ogallala Indian Summer Rendezvous.
- Lake McConaughy and Lake Ogallala rank as the
number three spot for bird watching in the nation. More than
320 species of birds have been identified on or near the shores
of Lake McConaughy/Lake Ogallala.
- A nearby attraction in neighboring Garden County is Ash
Hollow State Historical Park southeast of Lewellen. A modern
visitor center interprets the geological, paleontologic, prehistoric,
Native American Indian, military, 19th Century fur trappers,
and pioneer history. The Ash Hollow Cave further interprets
the geologic history. Windlass Hill was described by
emigrants on the Oregon, Mormon, and California Trail as the
steepest descent east of the Rockies. Ruts remain from wagons,
which descended the hill. The annual Ash Hollow Pageant
retells the humor and tragedy of the emigrant trails and area
history. Pageant narrative is based on emigrant and military
diaries.
- Located near Lake McConaughy is the 9,000 square foot, $2 million Lake McConaughy Visitor/Water Interpretive Center, Nebraska's first water museum. The center also serves as Lake McConaughy headquarters for the Nebraska Game & Parks Commission and for Central Nebraska Public Power & Irrigation District. The center includes a 50-seat theater, the Cabela Aquarium and the interpretive center focusing on the cultural, natural and economic importance of the Platte River system to Nebraska and the region.
Education
The Keith County Public School Districts have successfully
created an academic environment where excellence in education, student
academic progression, ongoing community support, and individual
student development are the primary focus.
District 1 in Ogallala offers a K-12 curriculum at the Ogallala
High School, the Ogallala
Middle School, Prairie
View Elementary School, Progress Elementary School and
West 5th Elementary School. Several other schools in Keith
County also offer excellent educational opportunities.
Keith County also offers two private Christian schools, St. Paul's Lutheran School, Pre-5, and St. Luke's Catholic School, Pre-5, where the student is offered an environment in which the school combines an emphasis on the basics of academics with a commitment to developing the Christian values of integrity, morality, responsibility, and respect for the rights of others.
In both the public and private schools, value has been placed
on active participation by both teachers and parents. This has
been paramount in achieving a high school graduation rate of 98%
and an average ACT score of 21.1.
Area colleges include:
Health
Ogallala Community Hospital has a reputation for quality care and outstanding customer service. In November of 2000 the Ogallala Community Hospital opened a new 18-bed facility. The hospital is supported by the Ogallala Medical Group that provide primary care to individuals and families throughout the region. This clinic has five family practice physicians, a general surgeon, an orthopedic surgeon, and two physician assistants who together provide round the clock coverage to meet the community’s primary care needs. The Ogallala Medical Group also provides 24-hour a day, seven days a week emergency room coverage to ensure that medical care is accessible to everyone within our area. There are also over 30 visiting specialists to cover a broad range of medical conditions.
Family Medical Center is a locally owned clinic with two Medical Doctors and a Physician’s Assistant on staff, with combined experience of 64 years. Also on staff are a Registered Nurse and two Medical Assistants. Family Medical Center provides family care, surgery, obstetrics, pediatrics, orthopedic services, and sports medicine. X-ray and lab services are done in house.
Additional health care services available in Keith County include three dentists, three optometrists, an orthodontist, two chiropractors, a physical therapist, two massage therapists, an oral surgeon and three pharmacies.
Sandhills District Health Department offers a number of services to the communities they serve, including a Public Health Clinic, Public Health Prevention Information, Prevention Through Immunization, Childhood Injury Prevention, Bio-Terrorism Planning and Medical Clinic Services.
Indian Hills Manor is an 82-bed, long-term care facility, which has been located in Western Nebraska since 1965 and has been a member of the Lantis Living Network since 1976. Quality nursing care is provided 24-hours, 7 days a week. A family oriented facility, Indian Hills Manor is dedicated to excellence and providing quality care with respect, dignity, and kindness. They also offer rehabilitation services such as occupational therapy, physical therapy, and speech/language pathology.
WEL-Life of Ogallala is a 28-unit assisted living center with four styles of apartments. Several different levels of assistance are available to residents. Amenities include homemade meals, a library, Laundromat, whirlpool, beauty shop, fitness center, and a private dining room.
|