Book Store

Leisure activities were not a luxury afforded to all in 1821. Working-class families often did not have the time, disposable income, or sometimes even the literacy needed to spend hours with a good book. For those that did, however, Pensacola boasted a large book store. William Hassell Hunt owned the Pensacola Book Store, as well as the attached circulating library and in his spare time became editor of the Pensacola Gazette. Among the popular titles at the time were James Fenimore Cooper’s The Spy, and Pierce Egan’s Life in London. He also sold practical texts such as the American Coast Pilot, a variety of history books, and even grammar readers.