Dr. Teague's papers consist primarily of his religious writings. The collection is small but includes histories of his churches, religious essays, autobiographies, ledgers, sketches of individuals, correspondence, religious degrees, marriage or honor certificates, awards, and his obituaries are included. One reason, perhaps, for the scarcity of material was mentioned in his autobiography which stated that during the Civil War in 1864 Wilson's raid in La Grange, GA. destroyed half of the family's possessions.

Dr. Teague's papers cover the period 1844-1883. Several of his sermons and essays were published in local newspapers and state magazines namely, the Alabama Baptist and Howard Collegian. In his autobiography, special coverage was given to the Civil War and plagues and diseases of the late 1800's. Several of his children died from fevers.

The correspondence consist of letters written about him from two friends of many years, Mrs. Katie Henderson Wallace and Attorney J. L. Peters, letters Dr. Teague wrote, including a letter to his second wife, a letter written to his mother from La Grange, Georgia, and a letter with no addressee. None of the letters were in envelopes and some were not dated.

The papers are arranged in the following series; portrait, autobiographies, correspondence, religious writings, ledgers, eulogies, certificates, articles, and a scrapbook, which includes a large collection of newspaper and magazine clippings. Of the works of Dr. Teague, Sketches of Shelby County, W.P.A. project 3525, is located in the Birmingham Public Library and another book A History of the Baptist Churches in Alabama, a 500 page manuscript, is located in the Archives of the Southern Theological Seminary Louisville, KY.

Eldred Burder Teague was born in 20 January 1820 in Newberry, South Carolina, to John WIlliams Teague and Mary Elizabeth Davis. He married Sophia Nelson Blount (daughter of James G. Blount) on 15 June 1843 in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. The couple had six children: Melancthon Blount (1845-1892), Anne Mary (1846-1892), Andrew Fuller (1849-1861), Sophia Blanche (1851-?), John Shepard (1856-?), and Eldred Burder, Jr. Sophia died in 1823 in Lagrange, Georgia. Teague later married Louise Emeline Philpot in June 1861, in Tuskegee, Alabama. They had ten children: Felicia Pauline (1863), Sarah Parnel (1864-1874), Elbuda (1865-1895), Imogene (1867-1868), William Calloway (1868- before 1930), Frank Philpot (1869-1874), Gertrude (1870- by 1873), Louella (1873-?), Edward Baptist (1876- by 1958), and Bessie Reynolds (1878). Louisa died in 1887.

In 1844, he was ordained to the Baptist ministry and served many pastorates in Alabama and was a leader in the educational life there. He was president of the East Alabama Female College in Tuskegee for three years and was very influential in moving Howard College (now Samford University) from Marion, Alabama, to Birmingham. He was also a founder and editor of the Alabama Baptist.

Dr. Teague died on 24 November 1902.

Alabama (local)

Community and Place (local)

Education (local)

Religion and Spirituality (local)