HISTORY OF TETER COMMUNITY
Upshur County


First Settlers

Jacob Reger, settled near Volga in the year 1776. He and his 
good wife Barbary (Crites) Reger were the founders of the
somewhat numerous families bearing their name, portions of 
which still remain in West Virginia. 

John Reger, Sr., fourth son of Jacob Reger and Barbary (Crites) 
Reger was born January 15, 1769. Died. May 14, 1849. When
he was twenty-one years old he stood six feet and two inches. 
He had a heart, big, brave, and beautiful. John Reger married
Elizabeth West, in 1779. That this was a "true love match," 
the most undoubtful proof was given by the brave lover who 
neither daunted by the distance of 150 miles, nor the perils 
of the way, walked to Winchester and back, that in his own 
words, his little Betty might have a store gown, in which to 
be married. A large crowd assembled on the festive occasion 
of this marriage. On his wedding day "for the amusement of 
their guests" he held his little Betty, she standing upright, 
on his outstretched palm. The home they built, and in which 
they so happily lived almost sixty years, stood on the right 
hand of the road leading from Buckhannon, to Philippi opposite 
the old house where Mr. Wellington Strader lived before he 
built the brick house now owned by his daughter, Mrs. H. M. 
Jackson. All that now remains to identify the spot is a few 
stones which once formed part of the chimney. 

John and Elizabeth (West) Reger's children were as follows: 
Jacob who married Parmelia Arnold and moved to Calhoun County;
Abraham who married Leah Brake and remained in this community; 
Edmund who died young; Elizabeth who married Jacob
Crislip and moved to Roane County and Barbary who married James 
Teter in 1820. 

Abraham and Leah (Brake) Reger's son, Albert E. Reger was 
born on the 25th day of December 1818. He married Mary Sea, on
the 16th day of May 1844. He was a lawyer of no little renown, 
and was the oldest member of the Philippi Bar. He was elected in
1852, and again in 1856, Senator from the Fourth Senatorial 
district of West Virginia, He was commissioned Major, in the Army
of Virginia. 

The Rev. Alfred A. Reger, a son of Abraham and Leah (Brake) 
Reger, was born November 11, 1822. July 16, 1843, he was
ordained Deacon. He was twice appointed Presiding Elder, 
first on the Charleston district, and later on the Berkeley 
District. 

Rev. John Reger, another son, was born, February 5, 1815. On 
June 9, 1835, he was converted at a Methodist Camp Meeting
held near the present site of Reger Church, Perhaps some might 
be interested to know that this historic church was built on the
land donated during 1810 by John Reger, Sr., and was the first 
church built above Morgantown, on the waters of the Upper
Monongahela. In size the structure was about 30 by 40 feet 
built of hewn logs. And the church now standing on the lot 
is the fourth church that has stood on the same site. In 1841 
John W. Reger was appointed Pastor in Charge on the little Kanawha
Circuit. He and his wife were boarded and received $42.00 as 
quarterage. He served as Presiding Elder in his church some four
or five different Districts. He was a delegate to the General 
Conference in 1804. 

It was through his great effort that the West Virginia 
Conference Seminary was located at Buckhannon, West Virginia. He
considered this the crowning act of his life. He put forth 
every effort possible to get the school located at Buckhannon, 
and with the other Trustees was successful. 

James and Barbery (Reger) Teter settled on the place now owned 
by B. I. Teter. Their first son Alva Teter was born in 1822. He
was a member of the house of Delegates of West Virginia Sheriff 
of Upshur County, Magistrate and member of the Board of
Education. John, second son of James and Barbery (Reger) Teter, 
was born March 19, 1825, married Matilda McCoy, and had a
large family. They moved to Kansas. He and his family gathered 
together quite a tract of land and quite a bit of money and are
citizens of no little worth to the country. 

Isaac Pearl Teter, son of James and Barbery (Reger) Teter, was 
born May 17, 1829. He married Rebecca Jackson, joined the
Iowa Conference, and was a delegate to General Conference in 
1896. 

Jacob Teter, son of James and Barbery (Reger) Teter, was born 
May 20, 1827. He married Catherine R, Loudin, May. 25, 1848.
They settled on the farm now owned by lrwin Teter. He had the 
distinction of living in two states, and three counties, and 
always lived in the same place. He was Captain of the Militia, 
Deputy Sheriff, Deputy Provost Marshal, Recruiting officer 
during the war, and member of the House of Delegates. His sons 
were J. A. and lrvin. They were both farmers. Irvin now lives 
on the old home place. He was a member of the board of 
Equalization twelve years and appointed to serve another 
term of six years but resigned. He married Kate White on 
October 9, 1878. She received her education at Wesleyan 
College. Their three children were, Jacob Carl (dead), Clara 
Rue, wife of T. B. Farnsworth, and Ralph W. Teter, who married 
Fannie Hinkle daughter of L. N. and Ida Hinkle in June 1912. 
Their child Benjamin I. Teter was born March 14, 1915. He 
was in the Four-H Club work. This year he had a pig project. 
His pig took first prize at County Fair and also fourth place 
at State exhibit. Ralph W. Teter is a graduate of
Mountain State Business College, of Parkersburg, West 
Virginia. His wife was a school teacher. He is a farmer in 
his community and a breeder of pure-bred cattle, hogs, and 
chickens. 

L. N. Hinkle is a school teacher and was a member of the Board 
of Education. His wife was also a school teacher. Mr. Hinkle has
a German Bible, which was bought in Germany in 1702, and brought 
to this country by ancestors in 1717. While Irvin Teter has
a German Bible published in 1753, and brought over to this 
country by Jacob Reger one of his ancestors. It weighed twelve
pounds, it was brass mounted and has the following dimensions, 
16 inches long, 12 inches wide, and five inches thick. 

Among the early settlers was a man named Thacker, who was the 
first blacksmith in all this community. Also a man named
Girty, who manufactured men's hats, the only man of the kind 
in the country. There was Johnathan Reger, who had the first and
only water mill in this country; Henry Jackson, an uncle 
of Stonewall Jackson; and Michael Strader, who had the first 
pair of cattle scales in the community, and the first mowing 
machine. His first wife was Sarah Bennett. They had three sons, 
Granville Michael, and Job. His second wife was Eve Rhorbough 
they had two sons Aaron and Wellington. They all lived and 
died in this community. His last and third wife was Dorcas 
Tennery. The writer's first teacher was Henry. He taught in 
a little old log school house that stood below the Reger 
church, near a spring on Zona (Strader) Jackson's field.  

It was held by Mr. Henry Neff, during the
Civil War. A company of soldiers camped on the church 
lot that night. The Exhibition was held in the church 
which was quite large. The house was packed full, and a 
soldier was placed at each door and window. No one was allowed 
to go out of the house unless a guard went with him. The 
conditions have changed very much since that time. Other early 
settlers include Emanuel Cool; Colonel John Reger who was the 
first sheriff of Upshur County; Arch, Job, John, and Valentine 
Hinkle; Marshall Murphy; and Joel Hartman. All of these have 
descendants living in this community except the hatter. 

Ministers of the Gospel who were reared in our community were 
Job Hinkle, J. W. Reger, Alfred Reger, Daniel Cool, Lot Cool,
and I. P. Teter. 

Emanuel Cool was born in Chillicothe, Ohio. When he was about 
18 years old he hired to some hog drover and helped to drive a
large drove from Ohio to Richmond, Virginia. 

They went by the way of Parkersburg, Clarksburg, and Buckhannon. 
Near Buckhannon on the Old Uncle Job Hinkle farm lived
Geo. Bozart, who fathered a home full of stalwart girls. At 
this home these drovers stopped over night with their hogs. 
Young Cool fell in love with one of these girls (Mollie) and 
on his return from the old capitol city of Richmond, he 
came to the Bozart farm and married Mollie Bozart. They lived 
in this community all the rest of their days. Here still lives 
Emanuel's son John,grandson Clyde, and great grandson John, 
Jr. Emanuel was a blacksmith, practically all his days, and 
one of the first in the community. 

Doctors of Medicine were Deering, and Floyd Eurit, and Frank 
Murphy. Lawyers were Albert Reger, and Charley Murphy.
School teachers were Charles and Frank Murphy, Floyd and Ira 
Eurit, Granville Jackson, Alfred Teter, Lue Reger, Fannie
(Hinkle) Teter, W. O. Hinkle, who has just finished a 
successful term as County Superintendent of Schools, Arlon 
Hinkle, Earl Hinkle and May Hinkle. 

Nearly all farmers in this community live on inherited land 
and all have added more land to their inheritance by purchase 

Not a man, woman or child reared in this community has been 
incarcerated, sent to the reform school, or the Insane Asylum. 

The First School

Early in the history of the community a school house was built 
just below the church in a field now belonging to Zona (Strader)
Jackson. It was of the same type of all other school houses 
built at that time, being made of logs. The chimney occupied 
greater part of one end of the building. For benches they had 
split logs with wooden pegs for legs. 

Present Conditions

As game grew scarce the settlers had to depend more and more on 
raising hogs, sheep, and cattle to furnish them with meat and
the community has now become one of principal agricultural and 
stock raising sections of the country. 

In 1910 the coal-mines were opened at Teter and since then they 
have brought a great variety of people into the community and
have furnished employment for many men. The farmers often work 
here during the time they can spare from their farms. This
industry has had a great influence on the kind of farming by 
affording a market for various farm products.