 After the war, Wilkeson worked as a mining engineer in Pennsylvania and married Mary Crouse in 1869.The couple then settled in Johnstown but in 1871 they moved to Gypsum, Kansas, where they managed a large cattle ranch and wheat farm.In the 1880s, Wilkeson wrote for several newspapers including "The New York Times", as well as contributing articles to periodicals such as "Harper's Weekly".