Francis Marion Smith (February 2, 1846 – August 27, 1931) was an American miner, business magnate and civic builder in the Mojave Desert, the San Francisco Bay Area, and Oakland, California.

[4] In 1872, while contracting to provide firewood to a small borax operation at nearby Columbus Marsh, Smith discovered a rich supply of ulexite at Teels Marsh in Mineral County, Nevada, east of Mono Lake, near the town he would found ten years later, Marietta, Nevada, while looking westward from the upper slopes of Miller Mountain where the only nearby trees were growing.

[5] Eventually, to satisfy his curiosity, Smith and two assistants visited Teels Marsh and collected samples that proved to assay higher than any known sources for borate.

The idea came from Smith's advertising manager, Stephen Mather, later owner of Thorkildsen-Mather Borax Company, and in 1916 appointed the first Chief of the new National Park Service.

Baker expanded the company's foreign acquisitions in Italy, Turkey, and South America and was largely responsible for capitally financing the corporation's expansion.

[9] While operating at Borate, Smith purchased the Boric acid mineral rights at the "Suckow claims" at Boron, California between Barstow and Mojave and east of present-day Edwards Air Force Base.

However, finding a profitable way to convert the extensive lake brines into borax and other important commercial mineral salts products proved elusive for roughly a decade.

[16] In 1892, he began building a summer estate in Shelter Island, New York, named Pres DeLeau, within his wife's geo-social circle.

[17] In 1893, Smith commissioned America's first reinforced concrete building, the Pacific Coast Borax Company refinery in Alameda, California.

In 1895, Smith formed a partnership with Frank C. Havens called the Realty Syndicate, which developed projects including the Key System, a major urban and suburban commuter train, ferry and streetcar system serving the East Bay (San Francisco Bay Area), Idora Park, the Key Route Inn and the Claremont Hotel.

Later, however, Smith created the Tonopah and Tidewater Railroad, not only to ship borax, but also with an eye on the ore and passengers from the boomtown of Rhyolite, Nevada in the Bullfrog Mining District.

He frequently made his Oakland and Shelter Island estates available for fundraising activities, involving his children in running games and booths.

Supporting his first wife's desire to provide homelike accommodations for orphaned girls, Smith financed the construction and operation of 13 residential homes.

Smith also provided a social hall called The Home Club, which was located on the site of the current Oakland High School.

As the State assumed care for orphans, the Mary R. Smith Trust was redirected to providing nursing education for qualified young women.

After suffering a major stroke at age 82 in 1928, Smith moved with his wife from their Oakland mansion and estate into a smaller residence across Lake Merritt in the Adams Point neighborhood.