| About Livingston Clinard
Livingston N. Clinard, son of early German settlers Andrew D. and Lydia Brown Clinard, began life September 6th, 1828 in Davidson County, North Carolina. After working as an eighteen year old store clerk in Guilford County, he moved at age twenty-three to the nearby village known as Salem, where he was employed at the store of Boner and Crist. A short time later he was officially admitted to the Moravian community, and it was in Salem that he would begin his business activities. Moravian Church Archive records state:
12 Jan.1852 “Br. Thomas Boner asked to announce that he plans to open a store with the single Livingston Clinard. He applied for permission for the construction of a two-storied frame building on the lot of his brother Will(iam) on Main Street. The house is to measure 23 feet front and 40 feet depth. In this connection Br. Clinard asked for permission to run his business. Since his application for admission to the community dates back a whole year, we do not believe that it is in connection with his present plan, and therefore replies to Br. Boner that the Collegium does not object to his plan, as soon as L. Clinard will be admitted to the community.”
In 1853 Livingston Clinard would marry Charlotte Elisabeth Shultz, daughter of Jacob and Johanna Vierling Shultz, with whom he had two sons, Francis Augustus and Edward Clifton. Following the passing of Charlotte he was married a second time in 1870 to Mary Emmeline Butner, daughter of John and Mahala Ray Butner. In 1875 Livingston and Mary built a two story home which still stands today near Old Salem.
It seems evident from correspondence received by Mr. Clinard that letter writing must have been a weekly or perhaps a daily ritual for him and for his family. It is not known by the compilers of this book whether any of the hundreds of letters Livingston surely must have written survived (we have only one).
The letters transcribed here characterize Livingston Clinard as a man who apparently was well respected and loved…“You were truly a brother to me and done more than one of my own brothers would..” Livingston also exhibited a strict disciplinary presence to his children…“I have not been to a dance since Father wrote me about dancing.” The reader of these letters will see Livingston Clinard through the eyes of his family and friends.
The passing of Livingston Clinard was noted by Rev. Edward Rondthaler, Pastor of the Salem Congregation of the Moravian Church. Speaking of the departures for 1896, he stated “Most of them have left us unexpectedly, in some instances very suddenly. One Brother passed into eternity on his way home from his store.”
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