October Farm, owned by Barbara and Jim Cole, was located about 12 miles southeast of Raleigh, North Carolina. October Farm has bred and sold quality Morgan horses since 1953, when Barbara Cole bought her first brood mare, Katie Twilight, from Margaret Rice. October Farm has produced many fine and typey Morgan's with the October prefix. Having horses obviously would mean having books on horses, and a good collection of horse books was started. As the collection grew, Barbara found herself buying books not only for herself but for her friends, and she discovered her true vocation, that of bookseller. The breeding and training of Morgan horses was taken over by her son Matthew, who now had opened a training stable in Louisa, Virginia. October Farm Books came officially into existence in 1977, expanding into out of print books on all phases of horse activities.
James & Barbara on Clement and Carolina, 1963
October Farm Books has been primarily a mail order business, selling horse books to all parts of the world. The mail order business was carried on from our home in Raleigh, NC. As our two sons grew up and moved out, their furniture was replaced by book shelves, print bins and work tables, and we maintained an extensive collection of horse books, prints and artifacts for sale from our home by mail. Barbara issued 3 - 4 catalogues of horse books each year, each with a totally new and different collection of books.
Barbara died of cancer on January 29, 2000. I miss her greatly.
Barbara's husband, Jim, retired after teaching Psychology at N. C. State University in Raleigh for 25 years, has now become the book person at October Farm Books. Although my knowledge of books is not as great as Barbara's was, I am a quick learner and will do my best to serve the customers of October Farm Books as Barbara did. I now primarily sell horse books on the Internet through several bookseller's web sites: Abebooks, Tomfolio, and MyOwnBookshop. I do plan to start issuing catalogs again in March, 2003.
October Farm Books moved in 2001 to 811 Roanoke Dr., Cary, NC, 27513. Cary is a Raleigh suburb, and October Farm Books can be easily reached from Route I-40, just West of Raleigh. Take the Harrison Rd. Cary exit from I-40. Proceed South towards downtown Cary on Harrison Rd until you cross Maynard Rd. Then turn left on Kingswood, then left on Bellhaven, then left on Roanoke. There is no "October Farm Books" sign, but the number, 811, is on the front of the mailbox. Visitors are very welcome. Please come to the side door. The front door is blocked with bookcases.
Created on ... March 07, 2003