Clark Foss.
Clark “Old Chieftain” Foss, also known as “Old Foss,” was a boisterous, colorful stage driver who often gave his passengers the thrill of their lives on California’s steep, narrow roads.
Foss hailed from Maine and was born around 1819. In 1844, he moved to Troy, New York, and later brought his family to California. By 1859, they were living in Healdsburg, where Foss tried his hand at raising hogs before establishing a livery business. Around 1863, Foss began running a stage from his livery stable through the Napa Valley to the geysers in the Calistoga and Geyserville area. The large, cheerful Foss, wearing an oversized gray Stetson, superbly handled the horses around some 35 turns, some with drop-offs of nearly 2,000 feet. He soon earned a reputation as the “King of Drivers,” carrying numerous people along the Geysers Stage Route, including several writers quick to praise his skills. As his reputation spread, he picked up two nicknames, “Old Chieftain” and “Old Foss.”
Around 1865, Foss developed his own stage station and rest stop, which included a post office, a large barn, and a hotel where notable guests stayed, including Ulysses S. Grant and William Randolph Hearst. He called his little domain “Fossville.”
Though many were impressed by Foss’ ability to travel the route quickly, give his passengers the thrill of their lives on the steep and narrow roads, and his sterling record of no accidents, others were not so impressed, calling him an extremely reckless driver. Unfortunately, Foss’ critics were right. In the late 1870s, as Foss was once again whipping along at a fast pace, the stage tumbled off the road into a ravine between Pine Flat and Fossville. Seven passengers, including Foss, were severely injured, one of whom was maimed for life, and one young woman was killed.
Mountain Stagecoach
Though Foss healed and returned to work, his demeanor as a stage driver never recovered. In 1881, he quit altogether. He died in August 1885. Meanwhile, his son Charlie took over the business, which continued until 1906.
©Kathy Alexander/Legends of America, updated October 2026.
Also See:
Cowboys, Trail Blazers & Stagecoach Drivers
Tales of the Shotgun-Messenger Service, by Wyatt Earp
See Sources.