Hamilton, Montana's Chapter One Turns 30

April Fool's Day is not the precise day that Chapter One Book Store in Hamilton, Montana, opened 30 years ago. But it is close enough, as well as being the wedding anniversary of co-owners Russ Lawrence and Jean Matthews and a great day for a celebration. On April 1, over 100 people attended an evening of festivities at the store, which included eating, drinking, Celtic music, dancing, and a book signing. Lawrence, who is an ABA Board member, and Matthews have been owners of the store since 1986; Shawn Wathen joined them as a partner in 2002.

Lawrence told BTW, "Jean designed a 30-foot-long timeline depicting significant events in Chapter One's history and regional literature highlights, and customers took it into their own hands, adding their own significant dates -- when they became Chapter One customers, for instance." Customers also participated in book- and bookstore-related trivia contests to win Chapter One tote bags and tee shirts. And Paul Stanton, a local humorist and author, signed copies of his news book EXtreme(ly Dumb) Sports (Duckboy).

Jean Matthews and Russ Lawrence dancing the polka during Chapter One's anniversary celebration.

"We had a wonderful celebration," Lawrence said, "in spite of downtown road and sidewalk construction that left questions of access and parking up in the air. Our customers love a challenge, though, and dealt with it the way they've dealt with every potential setback we've ever faced. Ten years ago, when we had to move the store, they lined up to help (and wouldn't go home when we tried to give them a break). When we have faced censorship issues, they picketed the store -- with positive placards. When the city put up road closures just before our party and told them 'you can't get there from here,' they answered, 'wanna bet?'

"Our 'official' birthday cakes were done up to look like large, leatherbound volumes -- one titled Remembrance of Things Past and the other -- Do What You Love, The Money Will Follow, topped by the Nancy Pearl [author of Book Lust] Librarian Action Figure and my William Shakespeare action figure," he noted. "The final ingredient was a 20 percent off everything-in-the-store sale that ran from 6:00 p.m. Thursday through closing on Saturday. It was a big success, providing a bit of cash flow at a time when things are otherwise fairly dormant."

Chapter One sells online through its BookSense.com site, chapter1.booksense.com, and also participates in the Book Sense Gift Card Program. --Nomi Schwartz