Hank Monk facts for kids
Hank Monk (born March 24, 1826 – died February 28, 1883) was a famous stagecoach driver in the 1800s. He drove stagecoaches between places like Carson City, Nevada and Placerville, California. He was so well-known that the famous writer Mark Twain even wrote about him in his book Roughing It. Hank was known for his exciting and fast rides!
Hank's Early Life and Stagecoach Adventures
Henry James Monk, who everyone called "Hank," was born in Waddington, New York on March 24, 1826. From a young age, he loved horses. He even once drove eight horses side-by-side in Boston during a big celebration!
People believe Hank started driving a stagecoach when he was just 12 years old. He worked for William Clark in northern New York, driving between Ogdensburg and Fort Covington.
In 1852, Hank moved to California. There, he started driving stagecoaches for the California Stage Company. He first drove between Sacramento and Auburn. Later, he drove between Sacramento and Placerville.
After 1857, Hank drove for J.B. Crandall, taking passengers between Placerville and Genoa, Nevada. He kept driving for this route even when other companies like Wells Fargo bought the line. Hank drove stagecoaches in Nevada for over twenty years. He was especially known for his routes between Carson City and Virginia City, and between Carson City and Glenbrook.
A writer named Idah Meacham Strobridge once rode on Hank's stagecoach. She wrote about him in her book, The Land of the Purple Shadow. She said Hank was "the most daring" and "luckiest" driver. She also called him "the oddest" and "drollest" of all the amazing people who made stagecoaching famous. She even said that as a young person, she would have rather met Hank Monk than the President! This shows how much people admired him.
The Famous Horace Greeley Story
One of the most famous stories about Hank Monk comes from Mark Twain's book Roughing It. It's a funny tale about a trip Hank took with a very important newspaper editor named Horace Greeley.
Here's how the story goes: Mark Twain was riding in a stagecoach when the driver told him a funny story. A few days earlier, they had picked up a man from Denver. This man was very entertaining and knew a lot about the area. He then said:
"I can tell you a most laughable thing. Horace Greeley once traveled this road. When he was leaving Carson City, he told the driver, Hank Monk, that he had a lecture to give in Placerville. He was very eager to get there quickly."
"Hank Monk cracked his whip and started off super fast! The coach bounced up and down so much that it shook all the buttons off Horace's coat. Then, it even made his head pop right through the roof of the stagecoach!"
"Horace yelled at Hank Monk and begged him to go slower. He said he wasn't in as much of a hurry anymore. But Hank Monk just said, 'Keep your seat, Horace, and I'll get you there on time!' And you can bet he did, too!"
This story shows how fast and wild Hank Monk's rides could be, and how he always tried to get his passengers where they needed to go, no matter what!
Hank Monk's Death
Hank Monk passed away from pneumonia in Carson City on February 28, 1883.
