Don Coldsmith was a native Kansan. He served as a medic in World War II, then returned to Kansas after the war where we attended Baker University. At Baker, he received his degree in psychology. He later attended the University of Kansas and there received his doctorate in medicine. Coldsmith ran a family practice in Emporia Kansas for many years while lecturing at Emporia State University on English. He had a great love for writing. In 1988 he shut down his clinic in order to pursue writing full time. He wrote more than 40 books on the American West. He was the recipient to multiple awards during his lifetime, including the Western Writers of America Golden Spur Award, and he was the Native Sons and Daughters' Distinguished Kansan of the Year in 1993. Coldsmith was known for writing his Native American characters complexly, often making them the protagonist of his stories. He is also known for criticizing the European-American society that comes to the plains within his novels. The Smoky Hill was a part of the Rivers West series, a collection of books about the West written by a group of authors.

Note written by Emory Rodda