Ranch History
Uncover the Legacy
Own a Piece of History in Carson Valley, Nevada
Nestled against the Sierra Nevada in the picturesque Jacks Valley, Jacks Valley Ranch stands as an iconic landmark rich in history and natural beauty. This 1,230-acre ranch features breathtaking views of historic 160-year-old white barns, overlooking contented cattle grazing on lush pastures.
Natural and Wildlife Significance
Wildlife experts consider Jacks Valley Ranch between the Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest to the west and the Jacks Valley Wildlife Management Area to the east, a critical part of a regionally significant Mule deer migration corridor. The ranch provides an uninterrupted corridor for traveling wildlife, enhancing its ecological value.
Historical Resources and Structures
The ranch’s historical resources include:
- Two barns were built in the 1860s.
- A cemetery containing graves of the valley’s pioneer families, including the founder of Gardnerville and Paiute servants, the cemetery was used until the late 1880s.
- A sheepherder’s camp featuring a small wooden cabin and stone dugout near a mountain spring at the mouth of Water Canyon.
- A large Native American grinding bedrock mortar, where members ground pine nuts, sage, and medicinal plants.
- John Wayne’s last movie in motion picture, The Shootist, first sequence was shot on Jacks Valley Ranch.
Notable Owners
Over the years, Jacks Valley Ranch has been owned by several influential figures, including:
- Richard Kirman, the 7th Governor of Nevada.
- William Lewis, warden of the Nevada State Penitentiary.
- Robert Lytle, an oil tycoon.
- Max Fleischmann, a millionaire philanthropist known for the Fleischmann Planetarium.
John and Rose Ascuaga
In 1969, John and Rose Ascuaga purchased the ranch from Bud Grant, continuing its legacy and serving as the Acauaga’s primary residence where they raised their children. John’s passion for the ranching community and the agricultural way led him to permanently preserve the rich heritage and natural beauty of Jacks Valley Ranch by placing a conservation easement on the majority of the ranch lands in 2017, prohibiting it from any future development.
The conservation easement excludes the primary working ranch, outbuildings, and four residences. There are also four additional vacant land parcels, known as “heritage parcels,” that are unimproved and are intended for the multi-generational growth of Jacks Valley Ranch.