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Keystone est: 1883
The area known, as Keystone originally was apart of the Indian Territory until 1854, when a treaty was signed with the Indians and the land sales began. The first owner is believed to be Daniel Voorhees who bought the land in May 1857. He later sold it to William A. Paxton Sr. in November 1883.

William A. Paxton Sr. (1837 Kentucky – July 18, 1907 Omaha, NE) was born in Kentucky, but later moved to Missouri. Working as a farm manager till he was 25, he later moved to Omaha to be the foreman on a bridge building crew for the Military Road. Later, in 1867, he began working with Union Pacific Railroad in Colorado. Eventually he began ranching near Ogallala, Nebraska. He eventually opened the Keystone Cattle Company and owned other ranches near Hyannis, NE. Paxton, NE is named for him, as well as Keystone, NE is named for his cattle company. Keystone would again be a prominent name for the Paxton family, as the land William Sr bought in 1883 would be deeded to his son, William A. Paxton Jr. The land would become the Keystone neighborhood. William was known as the “Father of South Omaha Stockyards” and also owned several Omaha businesses. The Paxton Manor building in Omaha was once the Paxton Hotel. William paid the hotel developers $5,000 to encourage them to add a fifth story, and naming the hotel in his honor. The Union Stockyards Company was formed with the help of Paxton, who also served as the first president of the company. William Sr was later elected to the Nebraska Legislature in 1881 and served in the Nebraska Senate in 1889.

The original plot of land was 500 acres. The boundaries of the original land: •	Ames Circle to Military Avenue •	Poplar Ave – Present day 83rd St - Elm Ave – Present day 78th & 79th Streets •	Iddings – Present day Bedford Avenue

In 1884, William “Billy” Paxton Jr. built a large, two-story home on what is present day Adams Elementary School. The house had extensive decorating with white grillwork on its porches and archways. It was surrounded by large shade trees and shrubberies making the estate look very stately. Billy called the estate the “Keystone Stock Farms”. The only entrance to the estate was through Aurora Drive off Military Avenue. The path was designed for as little of an incline as possible. Today, the path is one of the few long pathways in Keystone with little to no incline. The path went from Military road, to Aurora Drive, to Keystone Road, to Elm Avenue. The path was a beautiful, winding path way lined with trees planted by Mr. Knudsen, Billy’s gardener and landscaper. Billy built eight to ten stables where he kept his prized horses. What is now 81st and 82nd Streets he had an exercise and racetrack for his horses, which was located west of the stables. The stables burned on two separate occasions later. In the middle of the track was a spring fed lake, which grew larger in the spring and early summer with spring rains and heavy runoff from the surrounding hills. Billy loved raising his harness or sulky horses. Billy raced his horses, and it eventually took him to Cleveland where he met, and later married Georgia Short, who’s family were friends with the Rockafeller family, and members of Eastern society. They would adopt a daughter, Prairie. Billy thought highly of Mr. Knudsen, so much so that he gave the Knudsen family the house at 3516 N. 80th st on a 99 year lease. To the north, Mr. Knudsen had green houses where he grew flowers and shrubs for the estate. He remained with the Paxton family after the Paxtons moved to Fairacres. In 1897, the Paxton Real Estate Co. was formed with William Sr. as President, and Billy as Treasurer. William Sr. died in 1907, and Billy became President as well as decided to move to Fairacres, a prominent neighborhood in Omaha where many of Omaha’s elite resided. Bill’s wife was conscious of social connections and convinced Billy to join the Omaha Country Club, Happy Hollow, and Omaha Club.

The house located at 7818 Evans St was constructed for the Paxton’s blacksmith. It was most likely given a 99 year lease, similar to the Knudsen family house.

Billy had his estate surveyed and re-platted and in 1908 began selling lots. He dedicated the roads of the new subdivision, which he called “Keystone Park”. Billy and his family moved to Fairacres in but passed away within a few years. Georgia remarried and moved to New York with her new husband and daughter. Houses began to go up along the path created by Billy Paxton. Aerial photos from 1958 show houses along present day Keystone Drive, Boyd Street, and 83rd st in addition to the homes present in the area once known as “Benson Acres” around Skyline Manor, along Aurora, Clifton, and Graceland Drives. Boyd Street which was originally called Maple Avenue, was only a cul-de-sac stretching from then Poplar Avenue to about 82nd st, just east of the now Boyd Elementary property line. It was later extended all the way west to 90th St. Boyd Elementary is named on honor of James E. Boyd. Billy Paxton managed the Boyd Theater, named for Boyd, for five years.

Several owners up until 1950 or 1951 when the home was sold to the Omaha School Board owned the Paxton house. Adams Elementary would use the home for kindergarten classes and for storage until the new wing was added to the old frame school building. The brick addition was completed and the old house was torn down. The land and trees were flattened and became the Adams playground. An aerial photo from 1958, shows the building, and what appears to be the original large home from above.

Many homes were built, and still stand today in Keystone. Some notable are at the fork where Keystone Drive and Boyd street meet, as well as along Boyd St across from Boyd School. One of the homes was owned by the Plumb family who owned a well-known hotel on 13th st, owned the house located at 8001 Keystone Dr. Another well-known Omaha resident, Carl W. Renstrom, home would later own the Plumb family. Carl, who lived in the home with his first wife Catherine and their daughter, threw elaborate birthday parties for his daughter, Vera. The parties took place in their round gazebo, which is still apart of the home today, and can be seen from the road.

Farm land to the Northwest of the Paxton estate was owned by the Pomp family and would later be purchased by William Hargleroad who would later develop the land. William sold 5 acres to the Omaha School District which is used now by Boyd Elementary. The land also included Democracy Park, and the Keystone Klub Pool. The residents of Keystone indicated they wanted a swimming pool, William agreed to purchase the first 200 memberships if the residents bought another 200. The Keystone Klub Pool was built, and still runs today. Keystone is well known for winding, tree lined roads. This definitely is a result of the Paxton family who desired the scenic views. Keystone is often known for it’s “confusing” road layout. The way the land was first used by Billy Paxton definitely has helped shape Keystone’s unique layout today. There are very view grid-like areas in Keystone today, without only a few mostly in the NE, SE, and NW corners. But even those have some unique layouts. You cannot get from any side of the Keystone border to the other side of the border without at least utilizing two streets. This often deters drivers from trying to make a shortcut through Keystone. The uniqueness of Keystones landscape, and the ties to Omaha’s past makes Keystone a very special part of Omaha.

Streets: Former Name – Present Name •	Linden Avenue – Keystone Drive (From Maple north, turning east to 83rd •	Poplar Avenue – 83rd St & Keystone Drive (Maple to Boyd) •	Keystone Road – Keystone Drive (Boyd to Aurora Dr) •	Elm Avenue – 78th & 79th Streets & Evans St (Keystone Drive to Maple) •	Sycamore Avenue – 80th St (Evans to Maple) •	Iddings – Bedford Ave (72nd to 78th) •	Effie – Pratt St (72nd to 78th) •	Karl – Pinkey St (72nd to 78th) •	McCague – Wirt St (72nd to 78th) •	Mayne – Maple St