Opening a small-town bookshop during a recession may not seem like a savvy business decision, but for Charleston resident Jim East, it made perfect sense.

Last year, East bought and re-opened the Lincoln Book Shop at 619 Monroe Ave., located on the square.

“Some people say I’m not the smartest guy around, but no guts, no glory,” East said.

The shop has a long history. In 1961, Leonard and Tanya Wood opened the first Lincoln Book Shop on Lincoln Avenue.

After moving the business several times, the Woods settled on a storefront on the square, where the shop is today.

Through the years, the Woods collected cards, stationery and books to sell in their shop, but in March 2004, both Leonard and Tanya were killed in a car accident.

Last summer, East said he noticed the business was for sale and began the process of buying it.

East, a Charleston native and 1987 Eastern graduate, has as diverse a history as the shop.

After earning a bachelors degree in political science, East worked for the Illinois State Senate for a year, before moving back to Charleston to operate the Monroe Street Café on the square until 1995.

More recently, he worked for the Coles County Treasurer’s office, a job that brought him past the Lincoln Book Shop each day.

“I worked across the street in the courthouse,” East said. “I just walked past this last summer and saw the (for-sale) sign.”

In October, with help from friends and family, East began sifting through the merchandise already in the store.

“When I walked in, there was no inventory,” East said. “Tanya Wood knew where every book was, but no one else did.”

East re-opened the shop Dec. 2, and business quickly picked up.

“December was really good,” East said. “January and February have been slow, but I expected it to be slow.”

East blames the sluggish business during the last two months on both winter weather and the slumping economy.

But East said he had been reluctant to advertise the shop before his improvements to the store were complete.

“I haven’t been ready until recently to open the doors wide,” East said.

East also said, unlike the shop’s former owners, he plans to focus on selling books more than cards and gifts.

“I’ll probably focus more on the books than on the gifty items,” he said. “I don’t know how much demand there is.”

The Lincoln Book Shop is open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tuesday through Friday and from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on weekends.

Joe Astrouski can be reached at 581-7942 or at [email protected].