About Us
The way of the yeoman: a path as rare as the books we collect
"Yeoman's in the Fork is one of Tennessee's greatest treasures and abounds with the history that Mike, Keith and the gang so obviously adore!"-Benjamin Franklin Cooling, Civil War Historian and author of "Fort Donelson's Legacy," "Counter-Thrust - From the Peninsula to Antietam," and "Forts Henry and Donelson - The Key to the Confederate Heartland."
How did we end up in rare books, and more importantly, who would choose this path in life? These are questions we are often asked and love to answer more than any others.
As our name implies, we feel that we have an incredible responsibility to the land, our families and all of those who believe that hard work and history can lead a man to the riches we all strive for. These riches can be a glass of lemonade in the shade or the comfortable feel of a chair when you just started the sixth chapter. As our name implies, we feel we have gone against the grain and carved our own path. The way of the yeoman is not always the easiest, but the path teaches you lessons along the way. Luckily for us, those lessons have shown the way to the historic community of Leiper's Fork and to those fellow yeomen who believe buying and selling rare books and documents is an interesting way to make a living and a great way to help save them for future generations to enjoy!
Yeoman’s in the Fork was founded by lifelong friends Mike Cotter and Keith Wallace. These two spent more than a decade turning their passion for history and rare books into rewarding and profitable careers. After various endeavors, they joined forces and recruited the friends/colleagues they’ve made over the years to open Yeoman’s. Thus, our staff shares a love for our work and the people who benefit from our passion.
We at Yeoman’s do not simply sell the pieces we seek out and offer to our clients. We help you build the library or collection of your dreams, taking the time to forge a trusting, ongoing relationship with every fellow collector we meet. In a lot of ways, we facilitate the building of your dream while living our own. We always strive for this win-win relationship, and we cherish every deal that comes across our path.
Rare books may not be the path most chosen, but that’s exactly why we have learned to enjoy it and relish in it.
Yeoman's in the Fork is UpFront
