Who is Wilbur D. May?
The area around Double Diamond Park was once owned by Wilbur D. May. Born December 28, 1898, he was the third son of David May, who founded May Company Department Stores in 1877 in Leadville, Colorado during that state’s silver rush. Wilbur was expected to continue the family business, but after a career as an ambulance driver during WWI and an overwhelming zeal for the outdoors, he discovered that wasn't his passion.
Able to fly his own plane, Wilbur got the travel bug and traveled around the world on hunting trips. During one such trip to Africa, the stock market crashed in the US. Fortunately for him, he had already sold his shares. Upon his return to the U.S., he bought back the same shares at a huge discount, making him quite rich. He added to his wealth through good investments, such as the oil industry.
In 1936, Wilbur moved to Nevada and bought 2,600 acres of land in southwest Reno. The Double Diamond Ranch was named for Wilbur’s initials stacked on top of each other, which look like two diamonds, and the ranch became well-known for raising winning thoroughbred horses, as well as prized Black Angus cattle and Boston Bull Terriers. Wilbur continued travelling, painting, writing songs, and even served as a reconnaissance pilot during WWII. Back in Reno, he was a generous supporter of many causes which benefited children. When he died in 1982, he left plans for a museum and arboretum to benefit children, which are evident today in the Wilbur D. May Center and the Arboretum in Rancho San Rafael Park.
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Wilbur May. Source: Wilbur May Museum