WEST PLAINS, Mo. – The stagecoach journey “The Last Stage to Matador” will be the topic of the Friends of the Garnett Library monthly luncheon meeting Friday, March 9, on the Missouri State University-West Plains campus.
Local photographer Dennis Crider will be joined by Cowboy Rick Hamby and his wife, Arkansas Bev, to discuss the 130-mile trip they took from Clarendon, Texas, to Matador, Texas, in the Hambys’ 1800s Concord stagecoach, organizers said. At the end of the trip, the group delivered pen pal letters from youngsters in Missouri to those in the Lone Star State.
Crider, who was a crew member on the sometimes challenging journey, took more than 3,200 photos. Many of those photos, along with text by the Hambys, will be featured in a coffee table book titled “The Last Stage to Matador,” scheduled for release this spring.
Crider and the Hambys will discuss the book and the journey and will show several images from the trip.
The luncheon and meeting will take place from noon to 1 p.m. in rooms 104 and 105 on the lower level of the Lybyer Technology Center. Parking is available in the lot off Cass Avenue on the north side of the building.
Cost of the meal is $10, payable at the door. Those wishing to eat should make a reservation by calling 417-255-7940 or emailing FriendsofGarnettLibrary@MissouriState.edu by Tuesday, March 6.
For more information about Friends of the Garnett Library and how you can join, visit the organization’s website or call 417-255-7940.