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What he enjoys the most are the years he has spent among his neighbors and friends in Beaufort. His enthusiasm for this town and love of books convinced him to open Beaufort Bookstore in 1985 in what is now Beaufort Town Center, a store celebrating its 25th Anniversary this year. He's also the owner of McIntosh Book Shoppe on Bay Street. "I love the fine, beautiful people of Beaufort, South Carolina," he said. "When I moved here, they shared a lot with me and really took me in and made me feel at home. They're
wonderful."
McIntosh grew up in Bishopville. His mother taught first grade and instilled his love of books and the outdoors simultaneously.
"My mother was a teacher for 38 years, and she would bring me books to read and lots of them were about hunting and fishing," he said. "Where I grew up, everybody 'vegetable hunted.' It was the only thing there was to do.
"My grandfather was one of the best turkey hunters in South Carolina, and he was featured all throughout a book titled 'The American Wild Turkey.' I developed my love of hunting and fishing from him."
His parents moved the family when McIntosh's father got a job at Marine Corps Air Station Beaufort. His mother taught at Shell Point Elementary School. After moving to Beaufort, McIntosh decided to attend The Citadel, and during the rides back from Charleston, he learned the meaning of "home."
"At The Citadel, I had friends from Beaufort who had a car, and I had no car, so I'd get to ride home with them," he said. "Every drive home, they'd say we were going to God's country. I found that be true."
LOVE AND BOOKS
Upon graduating from The Citadel, McIntosh began exploring his outdoor hobbies with fervor.
"When I came to Beaufort, there were more quail here than I could ever imagine," he said. "I love to fish and hunt quail. I would hunt with my bird dogs, and the older gentleman in town found out about my dogs, and we all tied in together, and they allowed me to join them. When I moved here, it kind of felt like a dream world. I salt-water fished for a lot of years. The beauty of Beaufort is that you are close to saltwater and freshwater fishing at all times."
McIntosh got his first job at the Technical College of the Lowcountry, at the time called Beaufort Technical College. He was hired by the school's resource center director, Helen Fellers.
"He came in, and I hired him to be the night librarian," Fellers said. "When we took over the campus bookstore, it was a natural fit -- he adored it and understood the book and the student."
Fellers believes McIntosh owes the success of his independent bookstoresto his knowledge of people, books and money -- and having plenty of fun.
"Oh, he used to have the best barbecue and shrimp parties. He was the party man with the pig and the shrimp. They were wild and wonderful. He is so perfectly Beaufort. He has a dog, a pickup truck and, if he finds the right rare book, it's magic -- he just grins."
While working with Fellers, McIntosh had a run-in with a woman who would change his life far into the future.
"I met Lura Holman McIntosh when I was working at the Technical College," he said. "She was a student and married at the time. I was selling books, and she was buying. Ten years later, I met her one night at the Holiday Inn; we started dancing and the rest is history."
The couple was married in 1990. But the meeting with his future wife was not the only long-term relationship McIntosh sparked while working at the college.
"I opened my stores while working as manager of the Technical College bookstore," he said. "I thought Beaufort needed a full-service bookstore, and I thought the people of Beaufort were sophisticated enough that they could support it. Beaufort has always had a sharp clientele."
DOWNTOWN IS HOME
Downtown traffic and friendly faces have shifted during the years McIntosh has been a proud Beaufortonian.
"It was rare to walk downtown and run into someone you know, and now you can't walk downtown without waving to someone you know," he said. "People come from all over the world. I meet people from different states and countries every single day. It's enjoyable."
McIntosh said Henry C. Chambers Waterfront Park has changed the downtown area as well, bringing in new business.
"The tourists love the waterfront, and it's wonderful," he said. "They can go to the restaurants and sit and look at the water. ... People rave about the beauty of this place when they visit."
McIntosh has one more beloved hobby that might become his new business venture. He's also a beekeeper, which he learned from his brother Roland, who is a biology teacher at Beaufort High School.
"I took a course to be a certified beekeeper, because I think bees are the most fascinating insects. I go into the hives, and I've gotten 100 pounds of honey this year. I give some of the honey to friends and sell a little by word of mouth."
At First Presbyterian Church of Beaufort, McIntosh is the treasurer. Connie McGraw, who works for McIntosh at Beaufort Books, said he's proved his financial savvy there.
"They say he's so good with money they were able to retire their mortgage in about half the time," she said. "He is known as the man who can watch funds."
McGraw is also quick to praise McIntosh's skills as a boss. Working for a man with a lot of interests has its benefits.
"He is the all-time greatest boss," McGraw said. "He is hands-off. ... He makes everybody feel like the owner, like they have a stake, because he trusts everyone."
