Ralph Lemley: Resourceful Caretaker

Ralph Lemley: Resourceful Caretaker. Interpreting History. , Protecting the Reservoir with Constant Vigilance , The West Virginia Botanic Garden is on the site of the former Tibbs Run Reservoir. Ralph Lemley, the longest serving reservoir caretaker, was first listed as a laborer working for the Morgantown Water Commission in the 1935 city directory. He started to work as the reservoir caretaker in the late 1930s and helped build a house here around 1940. Mr. Lemley was an amateur mechanic who loved to tinker. For instance, he and his father built a tractor by stripping an old milk delivery truck. Ralph was fearless as he drove the tractor down mud-rutted roads that led to the reservoir. As the reservoir caretaker, Ralph adjusted the outlet tower gates to control outflow into the pipe system and treated the water. In order to prevent any seepage or potential embankment failure, he tended to groundhog burrows or overgrowth of vegetation. Mr. Lemley also kept an eye out for trespassers who might contaminate the water. These tasks required his daily attention., Supporting a Family with Gardens and Bees , Ralph Lemley, his wife Grace, and their three daughters were the only family who lived on this property. Anna Louise, their youngest child, was born here in 1942. After marrying, Anna Louise Lemley Cale and her family lived in the house next door, and the two families shared the land. The house Mr. Lemley helped build has since been removed. Here, in the Eclectic Garden, you can still see the steps going down into the cellar, where the Lemleys stored all the food that they grew and canned. The Lemleys had a big garden. In the summer, it was "like a buffet" with so many vegetables, fruit trees and a strawberry patch. Some of the ornamental plants and trees planted by the Lemleys remain here today. Ralph was a beekeeper and kept at least 6 hives behind the little garage. He was also an avid hunter, fisherman, and lover of wildlife., [Caption:] , Above: Drawing of shared property courtesy of Ralph Cale, grandson of Ralph Lemley. The foundation of the cellar of the main house can still be seen here today. The dotted line shows the current property boundary, where there is now a fence. Left: Lemley with his grandson Ralph on his tractor; a prized deer; and capturing bees. Right: The Lemley house; Ralph Lemley with potatoes from the garden; and with his wife Grace. Photos courtesy of Ralph Cale, Barbara Boggs, Joe Alvarez, and Ada June Lemley Ball.