Ozark County Historium Hosts Cowboy Rick Hamby Visit, Bringing the Journey Stagecoach

By Janet Taber, reprinted from the Ozark County Times

Cowboy Rick Hamby of Caulfield will visit the Ozark County Historium in Gainesville with a presentation set for 10 a.m. Thursday, Dec. 13, and, weather permitting, he plans to bring along his famous “Journey Stagecoach,” which he and his crew have driven on several westward journeys in recent years.

Hamby, who has a radio program entitled Great Moments in American History that is aired locally by KUKU in Willow Springs, 100.3 FM, will tell about the origin of the antique coach and its amazing history, including its years as the first “ride” at Silver Dollar City in the 1960s. 

“The reason I am excited to come to Gainesville and tell the coach’s story is that there is a small but unique connection to Gainesville,” Hamby said with a grin. “You’ll have to come to the program to hear about it!”

Hamby, a natural storyteller who seems to be able to find interesting bits of history everywhere he goes, will bring copies of his new book, The Last Stage to Matador, which he wrote along with his wife, Arkansas Bev Hamby. The large coffee-table book is filled with beautiful color photos taken by award-winning photographer Dennis Crider of West Plains, who was a crew member on the stagecoach journeys. Crider recorded the beauty of the western landscape as well as people they met along the way. The Hambys and Crider will share tales from the book and will gladly sign copies they sell. It would be the perfect gift for anyone with an interest in the American West. 

Hamby is currently researching coach routes that once ran through parts of the Ozarks, including Ozark County, and is considering the possibility of  making a journey based on one of these historic routes. 

This Historium event is free and open to everyone. Seating is on a first come, first served basis.