Wichman
About 1883, Pennsylvania-born James 'Jim' H. Wright settled along the East Walker River, where he operated a ranch and station. He married Mary Jane Daniels on his ranch in 1888, and they made it their home until around the turn of the century. Ownership during the first part of the 1900s is questionable, with conflicting information that Wright continued to own the ranch, but also that a Christopher C. Bulkley had taken up residence. In 1901, it was reported that John Wichman and Nate Fish purchased the ranch. Mr. Wichman married Arkana "Arkie" Ball in 1902, and about 1907 they moved to the ranch where Mr. Wichman began to cultivate vegetables for Aurora and Hawthorne. Mrs. Wichman was known for her hospitality until her death in 1910. Mr. Wichman married Mabel McCart the following year not long before a new post office was established to serve the area's ranches. For the next thirty years they maintained their ranch, a station, and the post office (with Mrs. Wichman taking over as postmistress when Mr. Wichman became County Commissioner in 1932).
In 1941, the Wichmans sold to Major Max Fleischmann and retired to Smith Valley; the post office closed shortly after their departure. Fleischmann had in previous years acquired many of the nearby properties. In 1969, the old Wichman Ranch became part of the Flying M Ranch holdings of Barron Hilton, which it remained until the land became part of the Walker River Recreation Area in 2017. According to Lyon County records, the charming ranch house overlooking the road dates to 1935.
