The Frances Smith was not only the first steamboat to be built in Owen Sound, but also the largest vessel on Georgian Bay at that time. By far the most luxurious vessel to sail the Upper Great Lakes from a Canadian port, she was known as a "palace steamer." In the mid-to-late-19th century, the Frances Smith set the standard for speed, spacious accommodation and quality service on Georgian Bay and Lake Superior.

The story of the Frances Smith, full of adventure and courageous actions, and even including disreputable behaviour, is a genuine story of life on the Great Lakes in the latter part of the 1800s. Meticulously researched and documented by Scott L. Cameron, this book is an exploration of a special part of our past that will be of great interest to history buffs in general, and maritime historians in particular.

Scott L. Cameron grew up in Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario. He received an undergraduate degree from the University of Western Ontario in 1959 and an M.Ed. from the University of Toronto in 1967. After a career as head of history and secondary school principal in Grey County, he created a successful home rental business in Europe. He has served on several boards and in 2005 was elected chair of the Owen Sound Marine and Rail Museum. He lectures and writes about marine related stories as well as about environmentalist John Muir. Scott and his wife live in Owen Sound, Ontario.

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