Jeter Andrew Barker

Jeter Andrew Barker Jr. (July 4, 1924 – July 11, 2011) was a philanthropist and the creator, founder, and former mayor of the cowboy themed town of Love Valley, North Carolina in Iredell County.

Early life Barker was born in Mecklenburg County, North Carolina on July 4, 1924. As a child growing up in Charlotte, North Carolina, he wanted to be a cowboy. His teachers told him that there were no cowboy towns in North Carolina. When he was older, he and his father (Jeter Andrew Barker Sr.) ran a lucrative construction company, JA Construction, in Charlotte. He was a military veteran of the Army Corps of Engineers in World War II. He attempted to run for Governor of North Carolina in the Democratic primary on two occasions in 1976 and 1984, and for the Senate once. Cowboy Hall of Fame Southeastern Rodeo Hall of Fame Marquis Who's Who of America Mayors Hall of Fame, 1994