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History · Preston

Preston’s history is
mostly unwritten

The public archives hold no old photos of Preston. The rest are in attics, shoeboxes and the historical society. Help start the collection.

1870established
0old images & papers
11recent photos

The story

from WikipediaRead it all ↗

Preston got its start in the year 1870, following construction of the railroad through that territory.

Preston is named for one of its founders, I. M. Preston. Those present at the time of the town's platting were allowed to name Preston's streets after themselves.

Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

Be one of the first

Start Preston’s collection

The first neighbors to add old photos shape how Preston’s history is told.

0 of 10 decades since 1900 have photos 📦Share a family photoSign in to add one+10

Famous people from Preston

See all 3 →
Fred SchuleFred SchuleSportsAl FeuerbachAl FeuerbachNotableBob OldisBob OldisSports
By decade

Preston, decade by decade

Before
2000
No old photos in the archives yetWeddings on Main Street, storms, parades, school pictures, the old store. If it’s in your family album, it belongs here.
📷 Add from your album
Today11 photos
Preston Iowa 20090125 Water TowerCommonsPreston Iowa 20090125 Water Tower2009Preston Iowa 20090125 W Gillet2CommonsPreston Iowa 20090125 W Gillet22009Preston Iowa 20090125 W GilletCommonsPreston Iowa 20090125 W Gillet2009Preston Iowa 20090125 Town HallCommonsPreston Iowa 20090125 Town Hall2009Preston Iowa 20090125 SignCommonsPreston Iowa 20090125 Sign2009Preston Iowa 20090125 Light-PowerCommonsPreston Iowa 20090125 Light-Power2009Preston Iowa 20090125 High School SignCommonsPreston Iowa 20090125 High School Sign2009Preston Iowa 20090125 Food SignCommonsPreston Iowa 20090125 Food Sign2009Preston Iowa 20090125 City Hall LibraryCommonsPreston Iowa 20090125 City Hall Library2009Preston Iowa 20090125 CafeCommonsPreston Iowa 20090125 Cafe2009IAMap-doton-PrestonCommonsIAMap-doton-Preston2004
National Register of Historic Places

Nothing in Preston is on the National Register yet

That’s true of most small towns. It doesn’t mean Preston has no history, only that no one has written up a nomination. The closest listed place is Polygonal Barn, Van Buren Township in Preston, 1.9 miles away.

Preston and the nearest listed places

Dashed line = Preston. Tap a dot.
Polygonal Barn, Van Buren TownshipKegler Gonner Store and Post OfficeWilson District #7 SchoolLafayette Lamb HouseDelmar CalabooseChicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul & Pacific Depot-Delmar

Closest to Preston

Polygonal Barn, Van Buren TownshipPreston · Building1.9miKegler Gonner Store and Post OfficeSpringbrook · Building8.9miWilson District #7 SchoolDelmar · One-Room Schoolhouse10.8miLafayette Lamb HouseSabula · Building11.1miDelmar CalabooseDelmar · Building11.2mi

How a place gets listed

1Talk to the stateEvery nomination goes through the State Historic Preservation Office. Owners, towns and historical societies can start one.
2Try a local or state list firstMany states keep their own register with a shorter form, a common first step for old barns, halls and schoolhouses.
3Write it upA nomination covers the history, photos and a map. Polygonal Barn, Van Buren Township’s page links to a real one.
Know an old place in Preston?A mill, a schoolhouse, a cellar hole, a church: add a photo of it to Preston’s story, or a memory of it.
📷 Add a photo of an old place
National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places · photos from Wikimedia Commons

Then & now

When neighbors add old photos, retakes from the same spot appear here side by side.

Stories next door

nearby towns’ history
📜 Spragueville📜 Miles📜 Goose Lake📜 Charlotte

From Wikimedia Commons (11). Images are copied here with their credits and licenses, shown on each photo’s page. Refreshed monthly.

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Boundary source: https://tigerweb.geo.census.gov/arcgis/rest/services/TIGERweb/Places_CouSub_ConCity_SubMCD/MapServer/18 · 2025-01-01
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