Pages of the Past Draws Patrons From Near and Far

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Pages of the Past, a history bookstore in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, is prominently located in the busy downtown area and clad with signs and updates of upcoming events. “We have a lot of signage promoting events outside the store,” said Julie Cade, co-owner of the bookstore with her husband, Lucas. “I also have a sandwich board with removable panels I write messages on. Sometimes I’ll have a clever phrase, like right now it says, ‘Smile, happy looks good on you!’”  The specialty bookstore carries history and historical fiction covering ancient times to the 20th century for all ages.

The Cades host all types of events at the bookstore, including visits from authors and publishers, historical talks, historical performances, crafting classes, and book club meetings. “We have customers who come to us and ask to perform what they’re working on, and sometimes we’ll see people in something and ask if they’re interested in coming to the bookstore,” said Julie Cade. “It’s always a challenge getting people into your store. We’re always trying to offer something new and interesting.”

Julie Cade specializes in paper crafting and hosts some of the classes herself. Though many tourists patronize the store during their visits to the area, Pages of the Past aims to connect with the local community as much as possible. Through e-mail lists, event calendars, and involvement in community literary committees, such as Adams County Reads One Book, the Cades have been able to draw locals in and to form connections with them. “I have this core group in the greeting card workshop,” said Julie Cade. “They’re very supportive, like cheerleaders for us.” Though the bookstore promotes itself through local media, the connections the Cades have forged with their customers and word of mouth have made an impact, too.

The store offers some non-book items as well. Both handmade and commercially purchased, historically themed merchandise is available at Pages of the Past. Julie Cade makes many of the non-book items that are unique to the store. These include journals, decorated pens, greeting cards, and book-page wreaths.  Other popular merchandise includes bookmarks, puzzles, candles, and Knowledge Cards, which are filled with history and book trivia.

Pages of the Past caters to its young readers as well. “It’s harder to find good history books for the really little ones, but there are a lot of great sources,” said Cade. Beyond a picnic table with a large colorful umbrella that decorates the store’s children’s section, there are a many fun, history-based book choices for kids to enjoy. Popular children’s books include DK biographies, the Little House books, Scholastic’s What Was and Who Was series, and the I Survived series.  

Although it might seem that a specialty bookstore located so close to a historical site would be crowded out by similarly themed stores, the Cades say many of the other businesses have their own historical niche. Pages of the Past’s wide variety of events and deep book selection ensure its originality. “Lucas’ background is in education and economic development, but he loves history,” said Julie Cade. “The bookstore was his dream and idea, and when I found out, I was all in! He’s the historian, but we both love books very much.”