Lillian Frances Smith was born in 1871 in Coleville, California to Levi Woodbury Smith, Jr. and Rebecca T. Robinson, the third of four children. Her parents were originally from Massachusetts and moved to Coleville in 1867. Smith began shooting at the age of 7 and was already competing by the age of 10. In 1886, at the age of 15, she joined "Buffalo Bill's Wild West Show", where she met her rival, Annie Oakley. Apparently, Smith and Oakley were never on very friendly terms; Smith was a braggart and at one point declared "Annie Oakley was done for." Moreover, in contrast to Oakley, who was an extremely conservative dresser, Smith enjoyed flashy clothing and had a reputation as a "shameless flirt." Both Smith and Oakley traveled to Great Britain with the "Wild West Show" and met Queen Victoria in 1887. Smith's poor performance at the annual Wimbledon rifle competition (as opposed to Oakley's favorable performance) brought mocking coverage by both the British and American press. A friend of Smith attempted to reverse the roles of Smith and Oakley in his recounting of the competition (and London's reception), but the claims received public responses by reputable sources. Smith left the show in 1889 (when Oakley returned to it).