Genesee County MI Archives Biographies.....Preston, Roswell 1817 - 
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Joy Fisher sdgenweb@yahoo.com January 24, 2008, 5:23 pm

Author: Chapman Bros. (1892)

ROSWELL PREST0N-  No one in this vicinity is more worthy of excellent
representation in this RECORD than the venerable and honored septuagenarian
whose name appears above. He is a representative pioneer of Genesee County and
resides in Goodrich. He was born in Washington County, N. Y., October 23, 1817,
and is a son of Levi and Sarah (Ames) Preston, both of whom were New Englanders.
Our subject's maternal grandfather Ames is said to have been a Revolutionary
soldier. Our subject's father was taken away when his son was but a wee babe and
in 1834 with his mother and a brother he removed to Niagara County, N. Y., that
being his home until the fall of 1836 when he emigrated to Michigan by way of
the lakes. His mother and brother made the trip on the Canadian side by wagon.
All met at Sandwich, Canada, and crossed to Detroit. Thence they came to Genesee
County, this State, and the family settled on section 10, Atlas Township, and
were among the first to locate in the town. Levi Preston had come to Genesee
County first in the spring of 1836 and had purchased five hundred acres of land
from the Government, paying the usual price-$1.25 per acre. While here he had
commenced to build a small frame house and on the arrival of the family they
completed it and settled in it. Levi Preston lived in Atlas Township until 1856
when he moved to Oakland County. While here the brothers worked together and
during that time did a vast amount of pioneer work. The situation was a
complicated one and the early settlers were obliged to plan comprehensively in
order to effect the result which is seen at the present time.

  Roswell Preston was married March 2, 1851, his bride being Elizabeth Nesmith,
a native of Erie County, N. Y., who was born September 4, 1828. She was a
daughter of David and Emeline (Wright) Nesmith, both of whom were natives of
Connecticut. Her grandfather Nesmith was a Revolutionary soldier and her father
served in the War of 1812. She had come to the wilds of Michigan to make her
home with her parents when but fifteen years of age and accomplished the trip by
riding and at times plodding over bad roads, fording rivers and camping out by
night where they ran the hazard of being assailed by Indians or wild beasts. She
was one of a family of seven children, three of whom still live. They are
Winfield S., Mrs. Preston and Sarah, Mrs. Harlow Husted.

  Our subject and his wife have been the parents of five children, four of whom
still live. They are Emma, Mrs. Alexander Campbell; Caroline, Mrs. Frost; Belle,
Mrs. Henry Parkis, and Grant E. In early days our subject was known as an
unerring shotsman and has killed as many as fifty-one deer since settling here.
He has served as Constable of Atlas Township for a number of years and was
Deputy Sheriff for one and one-half years. He was also Highway Commissioner and
Justice of the Peace. A Republican in politics, he has been one of the stanchest
advocates of the party in this section. Mr. and Mrs. Preston have arrived at
years that perforce command the regard of the mass of people. Their experience
has been a varied and extensive one and their struggle with the various
contingencies of the position has been well made.


Additional Comments:

Extracted from:

Portrait and Biographical Record of Genesee, Lapeer and Tuscola Counties,
Michigan, Containing Biographical Sketches of Prominent and Representative
Citizens, Together with Biographies of all the Governors of the State, and of
the Presidents of the United States

Chicago:
Chapman Bros.
1892

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