Theodore Buerbaum was born on September 2, 1852, in Westphalia, Germany. A German immigrant and longtime Salisbury resident, Buerbaum was best remembered for his interest in community building and for the local bookstore he owned and operated for 46 years. Additionally, he helped to establish one of the first knitting mills in the area, the town's first library, the Rowan Historical Society, and the Chestnut Hill Cemetery. From 1892 to 1900, Buerbaum published the Salisbury Herald. He died in Salisbury on February 1, 1926.