Ed keeylocko

The town was part real, part imaginary. There was a library with no librarian, a jail with no criminals, and a general store without a clerk. The man who lived there, and built the town, wanted to create a place that could be how the West really was, not how it was portrayed by Hollywood. A black man who had faced adversity in his life, he wanted a place where everyone was welcome, from immigrants to city folks who stumbled off the beaten path.

He had a knack for telling stories and a way of making people feel at home. People came from all over the world to meet him, listen to live music, sing karaoke and hear his stories, the true ones and the tall tales.

Ed keeylocko: Edward Keeylocko, the founder

At the ranch, worries drifted away with the sound of Johnny Cash. Impromptu camp-outs and live concerts were commonplace. His whimsical life on the ranch sometimes clashed with the harsh world around him. He faced racism throughout his life that put barriers in the way of his dreams, and sometimes he heard complaints from neighbors and the government.

He spoke of those challenges only as a way to convince his visitors that they could overcome any challenge they faced, and accomplish anything they set their mind to. When he got sick, he moved away, and his ranch began to fall apart.