Steve Lech was born and raised in Riverside, California. He has been interested in local history for more than 35 years. When he began working for Riverside County, he became increasingly interested in the county as a whole, which has led him to research and write 7 books of various topics. Included in these are Along the Old Roads (referred to as the definitive history of early Riverside County), More Than a Place to Pitch a Tent (about Riverside County's regional parks), and For Tourism and a Good Night's Sleep (about the beginnings of the Pines-to-Palms Highway). In addition, he has authored 4 books for Arcadia Publications, including Riverside in Vintage Postcards, Riverside 1870-1940, Riverside's Mission Inn, and Resorts of Riverside County. He currently writes a local history column entitled Back in the Day for the Press-Enterprise newspaper, and continues to research many topics related to the history of California's 4th-largest county.