THE DARTMOUTH BOOKSTORE

Books are the main life-stream of any institution of learning and one would assume that a college town would always have some place where books could be purchased. Hanover is no exception to the rule. Lord's History of the Town ofHanover reports that "books were sold in a small way at several of the early stores" which takes us back close to the opening of the College in 1770. Lord records that the first real book store in town was opened where Rollins Chapel now stands in 1795 by Josiah Dunham, who was also editor of the paper. Another shop, the "Hanover Bookstore," was opened in 1795 by Professor John Smith who was also College librarian. This emporium continued to operate on Main Street under Smith, and later his widow, until 1813.

Hanover's fugitive newspapers of the middle years of the nineteenth century carry notices of various book stores, including a second "Hanover Bookstore" on Lebanon Street. By the 1870's one Nelson A. McClary was running a book store next door to the present store, where the Beefeater restaurant now operates. It was in 1884 that McClary sold his store to Edward Payson Storrs, the father of Adna David Storrs '99, and here our story really begins. It is interesting to note that the store was located on about the site where Captain Aaron Storrs, a brother of E. P. Storrs' grandfather, had operated an inn for a dozen years in the 1770's and 1780's. It is also interesting to remember that it was early in the Storrs' management of the bookstore that Hanover was for the first time (1884) connected with the outside world by telephone on the White River Junction exchange, and that what was actually the first, and for several years the only, phone in town was installed in that bookstore.

In 1900 E. P. Storrs moved one door north to the present location of the Dartmouth Bookstore and operated the store there until his death in 1916. His son Dave then took over ownership and operation of the business which still carries on under an arrangement which includes Dave's daughter, Phoebe Storrs Stebbins. Thus the Dartmouth Bookstore has had a far longer life in one area, and under the control of one family than any of its predecessors and stands as a landmark in a rapidly changing community.

For anyone who knew Hanover between 1916 and 1953, when Dave died, the Dartmouth Bookstore was Dave Storrs and Dave Storrs was the Dartmouth Bookstore. To be sure we remember Norm Hawes and Harold (Skinny) Morse, Ira Leavitt (who died in 1954) and Ruby Daggett who is still a part of the organization and has a host of friends in Hanover and far afield. All these waited on town and gown over the years, and were most patient and trusting, but Dave was the continuing figure behind the counter and in the little office out back. A fine large picture of him hangs now in the store to remind us of those happy far-off days.

It is in some ways difficult to write about Dave for he was a simple, friendly, and very gentlemanly soul, who had no marked eccentricities, who never flew into a rage or spoke sharply, and whose modesty was as distinguishing a trait as any. Hanover folk will be slow to forget his soft voice, his smile, and his unfailing courtesy. Things were not as rushed in those days and Dave was always ready for a good talk and was wonderful about answering questions about old days and ways and people in Hanover and the vicinity. And he knew a tremendous amount about such things. He was a great lover of trees and a goodly number of the shade trees in Hanover were planted under his direction and actually watered in their early growth by his own hand. Hanover's swimming place at Storrs Pond, developed by the Hanover Improvement Society and named for Dave because of his active participation in its work, is a continuing reminder of his deep concern for the community and its young folk.

In 1950 Dartmouth awarded Dave her honorary Master of Arts degree. On this occasion President Dickey said in part, "New Hampshireman by lineage since provincial days, this plain is your ancestral home and you by wide consent are its first citizen. ... As in your person is represented the indivisibility of town and gown, so the emporium over which you preside is literally the corner stone of the community."

For most of Dave's years his store was the only place where newspapers were sold and the bookstore, like the oldfashioned general store, served as a meeting place and forum. Most everyone in the village came there sometime during the day, from the President down and Nat Woodward up. In anticipation of the arrival of the papers - in those days toward noon - quite a crowd often gathered. There was much friendly banter and sometimes vigorous argument, political or otherwise. I shall always remember the strong voice of George Ray Wicker taking issue with John Poor or Perley Bugbee, and the quiet chuckle of "Bush" Kingsford. Dave was usually in the background taking it all in and remembering the choice remarks for future telling. Newspapers are now sold in several stores in Hanover and the resulting dispersal of patronage has eliminated one of the best aspects of old Hanover days.

In recent years Wilbur Goodhue, who has been with the business since 1938, became active manager of the store and has transformed the place into as fine a bookstore as can be found between Boston and Montreal. One of the first things Wilbur did was to clear out the basement where over the years, under Dave's more casual management, a tremendous stock had accumulated. These were disposed of by various means - including the Filene bargain basement principle of daily reduced prices and the dump - and in 1956 the basement was opened as an attractive center for the mushrooming variety of paperbacks. The main floor was refurnished and more and better space provided for the display of maps and prints. In 1959 Wilbur opened a Children's Book Loft on the second floor and this has proved a most successful venture.

The old store isn't what it used to be but nothing in Hanover is. It is apt to be crowded now by a host of students eagerly browsing and actively buying. The day of the textbook course is rapidly disappearing and cheaper paperbacks have enabled instructors to make wide-ranging assignments. And it is a fact, in spite of the automobile and TV, that students do read much more than in the old days. The faculty have to try to keep pace and one can usually find faculty friends taking frugal advantage of a 10% discount. Wilbur and Bud and Ted and others are there to help and to take care of the cash and the charge accounts, and the old store continues as a lively and most active center of life and culture in Hanover.