Paul M. Fink was a well-known local historian from Washington County, Tennessee, where he served as the official historian for much of his life. He served as vice president of the Tennessee Historical Society, the Tennessee Archaeological Society, and the Tennessee Folklore Society. He was a leader in the movement that led to the establishment of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Working with George Masa and others, he was largely responsible for routing the Appalachian Trail through the Great Smokies and nearby mountain ranges. Fink was an active leader in the Appalachian Trail Conference, serving on its Board from 1925 to 1949, and was the author of Backpacking Was the Only Way, an account of early twentieth-century camping and backpacking adventures in the southern Appalachians