Hank Monk

Hank Monk (March 24, 1826 – February 28, 1883) was a legendary stagecoach driver in the 19th century who drove a stage between Carson City, Nevada and Placerville, California in the 1870s.

Monk is believed to have started driving a stage at age 12 for William Clark in northern New York state between Ogdensburg and Fort Covington.

Just after we left Julesburg, on the Platte, I was sitting with the driver, and he said: A day or two after that we picked up a Denver man at the cross roads, and he told us a good deal about the country and the Gregory Diggings.

When he was leaving Carson City he told the driver, Hank Monk, that he had an engagement to lecture at Placerville and was very anxious to go through quick.

The coach bounced up and down in such a terrific way that it jolted the buttons all off of Horace's coat, and finally shot his head clean through the roof of the stage, and then he yelled at Hank Monk and begged him to go easier--said he warn't in as much of a hurry as he was awhile ago.