History of Hickory, Polk, Cedar, Dade and Barton Counties, MO
Cedar County Biography Section

     James M. Preston, another one of the county's prosperous 
farmers and stock-raisers, was born in Roane County, Tenn., in
1820, and is the son of Moses and Margaret (Allison) Preston, 
natives of East Tennessee, born in 1793 and 1792, respectively.
The parents were married in 1815, and in about 1828 they moved
to Warren County, Middle Tennessee, and from there to St. Clair
County, Mo., at a very early date.  Mrs. Preston died in the 
last named county, in 1856, at the age of sixty-five years, 
and Mr. Preston died in Cedar County, Mo., in 1885, at the age
of ninety-one years.  He was of English descent, was a soldier
in the War of 1812 with Jackson, and he and wife were members 
of the Baptist Church.  Hon. George Preston, grandfather of 
the subject of this sketch, was one of the early settlers of 
Tennessee, and represented Roane County in the Legislature 
several times.  He died in that county.  James M. Preston, the
third of seven sons and three daughters, was educated in the 
country schools, came with his parents to Missouri, and he and
a younger brother, Abraham, enlisted in the Mexican War with 
Capt. Smithton of Stockton's Regiment, were both taken sick, 
and Abraham died.  After recovering, James M. returned home, 
where he was married, in 1855, to Miss Fernetta Williams, 
daughter of Robert and Levicy Williams, natives of Tennessee, 
but among the earliest settlers of Cedar County, Mo.  Mrs. 
Williams died when Mrs. Preston was a child, and Mr. Williams 
died in 1881.  They were members of the Baptist Church.  He 
was a wealthy and prominent citizen, and was judge of the county
court a number of years.  Eleven children were born to Mr. and
Mrs. Preston, four sons and four daughters now living.  Mr. 
Preston resided in St. Clair County until 1876, when he came 
to Cedar County, settling on his present farm of 240 acres, 
sixty under cultivation, and there he has lived ever since. 
During the late war he was in the Enrolled Missouri Militia, 
in the Sixtieth Regiment, Company E, as sergeant, and was in 
hard service.  A Democrat in politics previous to the war, he 
has since been a Republican.  His first presidential vote was 
cast for James K. Polk, in 1844.  He and wife have been 
prominent members of the Baptist Church for thirty years.  
Mr. Preston's children are named as follows: Maria F., widow 
of Charles A. Allen, and the mother of one child; Elizabeth, 
wife of Hugh G. Sherman; Mary L., Robert S., Moses W., James H.,
Ida A. and John M.


History of Hickory, Polk, Cedar, Dade and Barton Counties,
Missouri, published by Goodspeed, 1889--Page 767

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