PRESTON, John

PRESTON

Posted By: Karon Velau (email)
Date: 5/30/2021 at 17:29:12

John Preston

John Preston, another one of the prosperous farmers living near Battle Creek, Iowa, forms the subject of this article. He has resided here since 1872, is ranked with the leading men of the vicinity, and it is appropriate that some personal mention be made of him on these pages.
John Preston was born in Forfarshire, Scotland, June 27, 1857, son of John and Matilda (Hill) Preston. His parents were born, passed their lives and died in Scotland. They reared a family of eight children, the subject of our sketch being the seventh born. He received a good education in his native land. He clerked in a drug store for a short time at Dundee, Scotland, and in 1872, at the age of fifteen, came to America and to Ida county, Iowa, where he had two brothers, Andrew and James C. Here he went to school in the winter. He worked for his brothers five years, and afterward for E. P. Smith. The first land he purchased was in section 16, Maple township. This property he sold, and then bought his present farm of 120 acres in section 17. His cottage home is located on a natural building site, and is surrounded with grove and orchard. He has good farm buildings, fences, etc., and, while he is engaged in general farming and stock-raising, he makes a specialty of Shorthorn cattle.
Mr. Preston was married November 9, 1882, to Maggie Todd, a native of Scotland, and a daughter of James and Christena (Cregie) Todd of Ida Grove. Her parents, have ten children, five sons and five daughters, all living in Ida county except one, who is in Scotland. Mr. and Mrs. Preston have four children: Alexander, Lenais, Christena C. and Albert E.. He and his wife are members of the Presbyterian Church. Politically, he affiliates with the Republican party. He has served as a member of the School Board.
Source: Biographical History of Crawford, Ida, and Sac Counties, Iowa, 1893, p.359