Francis Lynde (1856-1930) was an American author. Three of his books were adapted to film. He was born in Lewiston, New York, and wrote adventure novels set in the American West in the early 20th century. The Chattanooga-Hamilton County Bicentennial Library has a collection of his papers. His novels were set in the mountains of Colorado, Nevada, and Utah. Railroading and mining provided settings for his storylines. The main characters were often mining or railroad engineers. His collection of detective stories was titled Scientific Sprague. His story Moonshiner of Fact is set in the Appalachian Mountains of Eastern Tennessee.