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Another Man's Treasure
West Virginian's eclectic collection spans six decades
By Paul Darst
Photographs by Paul Darst
To the untrained eye, the collection in Ralph Davis' barn might look like junk he has collected over the years.
Everything from old kitchen utensils and toys to washing machines and motorcycles can be found in his Ritchie County barn.
Ralph has what could be one of the largest private antique collections in West Virginia.
"A friend of mine wants me to take all of this and make a regular museum in Harrisville," Ralph said.
"He doesn't know what he's asking for... It would take quite a few pickup trucks to carry all of this off."
Ralph, 70, has collected antiques since he was 10 years old.
"I just have always liked old stuff," he said.
The first of the old stuff that visitors see when they pull up the long, steep driveway to his hilltop home is old farming equipment. In a small field next to his house, Ralph has horse-drawn pieces of equipment, including a hay rake, a McCormick grain drill and a road grader.