Keystone, Omaha

Keystone is a community located within Omaha, Nebraska. It is bordered by North 90th on the west, Maple St on the south, North 72nd St on the East, and Military Rd/Fort St on the North. The Nebraska Humane Society and many other businesses of various types are within Keystone. The NHS now occupies what was once a grocery store as well as other buildings located around the building. There are three mid sized parks including Democracy Park on Templeton where the Keystone Trail originates, Esther Pilster park off of Boyd St, and Keystone Park. Keystone also has two elementary schools including Adams Elementary and Boyd Elementary named for James E. Boyd who owned the Boyd Theater among other business ventures in Omaha. Keystone also has several churches.

History

The neighborhood is named for W. A. Paxton Sr's ranch in Ogalla,^[1] Nebraska. Originally having a few small farms in various areas the land was predominately owned by William A. Paxton Sr.^[2] Later owned by his son William A. Paxton Jr. Building his home on the grounds that is now Adams Elementary school. He raised horses just west of his home. the original path to his house from Military Road followed what is present day Aurora Dr, Keystone Dr, n 79th St to Evans St, and ending on n. 78th St. He choose this path because it was the path with the least amount of incline to his home. His home would eventually become apart of Adams school until it was torn down in favor of building a newer building. Some of the homes around Adams were built by Mr. Paxton and given away to individuals connected to William. Eventually the land was sold and the neighborhood began to take shape. Keystone has many winding roads with no one street stretching from one side to the other making it more difficult to drive through the neighborhood if your destination is not within the neighborhood.

In the late 1800's most homes were located around William's home as well as a few located in the SE and NE corners closer to the Benson area. There were a few located on the north side near where Old Military rd passed through. As the neighborhood began to grow Boyd St was stretched from where it originally ended as a cul-de-sac at 82nd st and was paved all the way to 90th st. This can be seen on some old maps. The area was not like other areas that were developed with new homes in that some homes already were in the neighborhood but the majority of homes were built in the late 1950's and the 1960's.

Layout

Unlike some of the older neighborhoods Keystone doesn't have a grid like setup outside of a few blocks. However, unlike many new subdivisions the layout does not rely on cul-de-sacs to reduce through traffic. Many subdivisions form with very little current inhabitants but Keystone formed slowly over time until the land was sold and the area was developed. It creates a unique feel to the neighborhood.

Organizations

Keystone has a task force and neighborhood patrol. The Keystone Task Force organizes community events including fundraisers, scholarships, and various other activities. The Keystone Neighborhood Patrol is a group of neighbors who volunteer some of their time to patrol the neighborhood to help prevent crime within the neighborhood.

Notable Locations

The Keystone pool is a popular feature of the neighborhood. When Keystone was being developed the current neighbors asked the developer to build a pool. The developer agreed and the pool was built at the corner of 83rd and Templeton. The pool hosts many parties through the summer as well as many swim meets. The pool has changed through the years building a pavilion and rebuilding the "baby pool", the smaller pool for younger kids.

Keystone also has three moderate sized parks. Esther Pilster Park on 88th St south of Boyd has some playground equipment and rests just south of a ball field which is across the street (Boyd St) from a soccer field. Keystone Park at 78th and Keystone Dr has two tennis courts along with some playground equipment. Democracy Park just north of 87th St and Templeton Dr has playground equipment, a stone mountain that was sealed with stones in the 90's, and a ball field that creates the corner of Templeton and Fort St.

The Keystone Trail

The Keystone Trial originates as Democracy Park and runs for miles through midtown Omaha. The trail travels for several miles through what is now present day midtown Omaha. Many people use the trail each day from biking to jogging to simply going for a walk. The trail head starts at the small parking lot of Democracy Park. There have been talks for years to extend the trail north to Lake Cunningham passing near Omaha Northwest High School. This has yet to happen but the trail is still very popular and active through the spring, summer, and fall.

The trail follows the Little Papillion Creek. There is a pedestrian bridge that crosses the creek inbetween Larimore Ave and Fowler Ave that comes out to the old train track rails behind a present day car wash and auto body shop. The trail is 15^[3] miles ending at Haworth Park in Bellevue, Nebraska. The railroad influence is seen along the trail within Keystone. The trail runs along 88th St but curves towards 90th St just before reaching Keystone Dr. The remnants of the old railroad that followed the same path can still be seen today.

References

1. Star, JIM McKEE / For the Lincoln Journal. "Jim McKee: W.A. Paxton, Omaha entrepreneur and father of South Omaha". JournalStar.com. Retrieved 2016-03-26.
2. "Neighborhood profile: Wander awhile in Keystone". Omaha.com. Retrieved 2016-03-26.
3. "Keystone Trail | Nebraska Trails | TrailLink.com". www.traillink.com. Retrieved 2016-03-26.

Coordinates: 41°17′46″N 96°02′20″W / 41.296°N 96.039°W