Celebrating the Cowboy Book Discussion Series – The Virginian

On July 4, 2026, our nation will commemorate and celebrate the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence. The journey toward this historic milestone is an opportunity to pause and reflect on our nation’s past, honor the contributions of all Americans and look ahead toward the future we want to create for the next generation and beyond. Our library has chosen to Celebrate the Cowboy during our winter programming series as a reflection of our heritage. Stop by the library to register and pick up the first book. Discussions will be held at 6 p.m.

  The Virginian by Owen Wister is the first book in the series and is slated for discussion on Monday, February 2. His background is shadowy, his presence commanding. He brings law and order to a frontier town and wins the love of a schoolteacher from the East. He is the Virginian — the first fully realized cowboy hero in American literature, a near-mythic figure whose idealized image has profoundly influenced our national consciousness. This enduring work of fiction marks his first appearance in popular culture — the birth of a legend that lives with us still.