Many downtown buildings have seen an increase in vacancies in recent decades. First, consumers gravitated to shopping malls and then in later years online shopping.
One fixture Matthew and Angela Adams feel has been lost from downtowns is the independent bookstore, so they brought one to Princeton.
“As a culture and as a community we’ve really moved toward larger, more corporate run businesses, which has really been the death now of small towns,” Matthew Adams said. “You can’t drive through any small town in Bureau County that has not, I would say, been gutted by corporate and taken business away from the community. That’s really what our passion is as well as books. That’s why an independent bookstore is where we’ve landed as our passion.”
The Adams opened True Leaves Bookshop in October in downtown Princeton, where there are few vacancies within its downtown retail district.
The Adams are transplants to Bureau County. Matt grew up in Texas and Angela in Florida. They moved to Tiskilwa in 2008, looking for a different pace and more rural area to raise a family. In 2017, they moved to Malden.
When deciding where to open the bookstore, Angela said, “Princeton is really the only place we considered.”
Matt said the last Princeton bookstore closed about 15 years ago, before they moved to the area, but was told the store owners held great community events.
“We’re filling a hole,” he said. “A lot of people have responded very well.”
Opening an independent bookstore did come with moments of hesitation, they both agreed.
“The biggest thing is we can’t compete on price with Amazon, some of the big box stores. They’re going to have cheaper books and we know that. That was a big hesitation,” Angela said. “Are we going to be profitable? Are we going to be able to sell enough inventory to actually make things work?”
So far, the community has told them there is a desire to support a locally owned bookstore.
“We know there’s been bookstores in the past. Now we’re the only one in Bureau County.”
The closest independent bookstores are Books on First in Dixon, 33 miles north of Princeton, and Prairie Fox Books in Ottawa, 38 miles east.
“It’s scary, it’s daunting but we think there’s enough community support. What we’ve seen over the past month is nearly everyone who comes in thanks us for being here. We hear every day, Princeton needed a bookstore,” Angela said.
“We have never started a business before and it’s been amazing. Just the welcome we’ve received. The folks that come in maybe they don’t purchase something, but they’ll just say, ‘You have a really nice store. This is a great shop.’ For people who have never done this before, that’s just really encouraging.”
At the present, they’re happy with their small storefront at 950 N. Main St., Suite A. A smaller space has given them a chance to see how well they’re received. Change is afoot next door, however, and they may have to move, which they knew from the start. The Flour House is closing at the end of the year and a restaurant will move in. If the restaurant chooses to expand, True Leaves would need to find a new home. Should that happen, the Adams will view it as an opportunity to expand.
“Our space is limited now, but our long-term goal is to have eventually a space that’s large enough for people to gather for author events, open mic nights,” Angela said. “The store can be a destination and not just a place someone pops in to shop.”
Combined with the passion for small businesses and vibrant downtowns, their love of reading also led them to open the bookstore. Matt likes history, art history and political science, while Angela prefers literary fiction, poetry, spirituality and nonfiction psychology, healing our brains and recovering from grief.
“We have a shelf in the store on grief and loss and I thought at first we wouldn’t have too many people that would shop from that section, but that’s been a very interesting surprise. Those have been some of our most popular books,” Angela said.
True Leaves will offer new and used books, including nonfiction, fiction and children and young adult selections, and bookish goods such as journals, stickers and notepads. Book-themed tea, blankets, candles and other items also are available.
They have a local author section with books, stickers and cards by local writers and artists. They also carry a selection of Princeton and Bureau County history, such as the Cherry Mine Disaster and the founding of Princeton.
The Adams also established a relationship with the Bureau County Historical Society and are carrying some merchandise from its shuttered gift shop. They offer printed materials, such as postcards and books and other historical Bureau County materials. These items have been best sellers, they said.
Books also can be bought online. For information, visit bookshop.org/shop/trueleaves. Hours are 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Thursday, 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Friday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday and noon to 4 p.m. Sunday. Beginning Monday, True Leaves will offer expanded holiday hours. Customers are encouraged to check the store’s website or social media for hours. For information, contact hello@trueleavesbooks.com or 815-719-6702.