California historian James R. Smith is the author of San Francisco’s Lost Landmarks as well as a number of historical articles. A well-respected authority on California history, he has spent years chronicling the stories of San Francisco and the California Gold Country. Smith is a frequent lecturer and discussion leader at universities, historical societies, libraries and bookstores. A member of the California Historical Society, the San Francisco History Association, the San Francisco Museum & Historical Society and the Library Fund at the University of California, Berkeley, Smith is active in the preservation and promotion of history and historical lore. Smith is a fourth-generation native of San Francisco and a sixth-generation Californian.