Stone marker of the spot where Bill Keys shot and killed Worth Bagley, 1943

Two things are certain about Bill Keys: He was a good storyteller, and he liked working with and carving things in stone. Keys spent close to five years in jail for this deed, later shown to be in self-defense, but he apparently held no hard grudge, calling the years behind bars his *college years*, since he for once in his life got to spend as much time reading as he wanted to.

Just as soon as Keys was released from jail, and got back to his beloved Desert Queen Ranch, he went to the spot where he shot Worth Bagley, and put up this marker. It can be found along the path into the Wall Street Stamp Mill. Prominent in the nearby landscape is the metal framework of the well that Worth Bagley had tried to stop Bill Keys from taking his cattle to for water.

For the story in Bill Keys own words, visit this web site I found with a quick search with Google.

The Park give tours of Keys Ranch most weekends, and I highly recommend taking one. For more on Keys Ranch, click here.