Burkett REAGER Jr.

  General Notes:

The following was provided to the Logan Co. Historical Society by Roger H. Futrell in 1993: Burket Reagar was born about 1745 probably in present day PA. He was the son of Burket Reagar (Burkhard Rieger) and wife Martha Heyer.

The family moved from Pennsylvania to Virginia about 1750. (Records of Augusta County, Virginia, (VI,p.41.) They lived in Augusta, Frederick, and Berkley Counties, Virginia.

Burket Reager's surname evolved to RAGER. The latter spelling is used by his descendants today. Burket Reagar appeared on the tax rolls of Berkley County, Virginia in 1782. Berkley County, Virginia was formed in 1771 from a part of Frederick County. Today Berkley County is in West Virginia.

Burket Reagar moved west to present day Jefferson County, Kentucky about 1786. A study of court documents of Jefferson, Nelson, and Hardin Counties, Kentucky indicate that Burket Reagar lived in the Louisville area from 1786-1790. In 1790, he moved southwest of Louisville to the Nolin River area. He paid tax on a 187 acre Nolin River farm in Nelson County from 1790-1792. By 1795, the land was taxed in the newly formed Hardin County, Kentucky.

Burket Reagar moved to Logan County, Kentucky by 1800 as he appeared on their tax lists for 1800. Logan County, Kentucky tax rolls for 1801 and 1804 include Burket Ragar, John Ragar, and William Ragar. He appeared in the Logan County census of 1810 as Burket Ragor (p188). In 1811, Burket Rager sold tracts of land on Clifty Creek to Samuel and James Shamwell. (Deed book C, p429-430). In 1815, Burket Rager sold Samuel Shamwell an additional 150 acre tract on Clifty Creek. The deed does not list Rager's wife Martha which indicates she died between 1810-1815. (Logan Co. deed book D, page 417).

No probate record has been found for Burket Reagar (Rager) in Logan County, Kentucky records. He died between 1815-1820 as he is not listed on the 1820 census.

Burkett married Martha BUSH about 1775.