Biography of J. M. Preston

	This biography is from "Memorial and biographical record; an illustrated
 	compendium of biography, containing a compendium of local biography,
	including biographical sketches of prominent old settlers and 
	representative citizens of South Dakota..." Published by G. A. Ogle & 
	Co., Chicago, 1898. Page 262.

	Scan and OCR by Joy Fisher, 1997. This file may be copied for non-profit 
	purposes. All other rights reserved. 


J. M. PRESTON, clerk of courts, Madison, South Dakota, was born in 
Bourbon county, Kentucky, August 7, 1840. His father, James Preston, 
was a native of Virginia, and by occupation an attorney-at-law. He 
moved in an early day to Detroit, Michigan, and later located on 
Mackinaw island, where he was Indian agent during three 
administrations. He afterward went to Madison, South Dakota, where he 
died in 1887. His father, Benjamin Preston, was a native of Canada and 
was in the war of 1812, in a New York regiment. The mother of our 
subject bore the maiden name of Rubia Smith, and was born at Albany, 
New York. Her father was also born in New York and was of English 
descent.

	Mr. Preston is the oldest of a family of three children, two sons 
and one daughter. When but a small child he moved with his parents to 
Detroit, Michigan, and obtained his preliminary education at Detroit 
and Kalamazoo, Michigan. He later moved with his parents to Milwaukee, 
Wisconsin, and continued his schooling at that place and Sheboygan, 
Wisconsin, and, before finishing his school, enlisted in 1861 in 
Company I, First Wisconsin Cavalry, as a private. He served in this 
capacity but a short time when he was taken sick and was discharged; 
but in 1 862 he re-enlisted in Company D, Twenty-fifth Wisconsin 
Volunteer Infantry, as a private, but was soon promoted to a non-
commissioned office, being on the staff of Major-General A. J. Smith, 
commander of the Sixteenth Army Corps, from about January, 1863, to 
1865. He participated in the siege of Vicksburg and Nashville, 
Tennessee; Jackson, Mississippi; was all through the Red river 
expedition; Mobile, and other important battles. August 7, 1863, he was 
wounded in a battle near Holly Springs, Mississippi, by a minie ball, 
and again at De Russe, on the Red river.

	At the close of hostilities Mr. Preston returned to Wisconsin, 
and started west the same year, going by way of Dubuque, Iowa, and Salt 
Lake City, Utah, to California. Here he spent eight years in San 
Francisco, Sacramento and many other points in northern California, 
spending eight years in that country. He then returned by the way of 
Arkansas to Dakota, in 1874, and was engaged for a time in buying and 
shipping horses. In 1878 he located at Herman, South Dakota, which is 
now Lake Herman, and soon after moved to Old Madison, on Lake Madison, 
and built an office there. At the time the present Madison was 
established he moved his office to the site of the new village, and the 
building still stands, one of the oldest buildings in Madison. Mr. 
Preston also sold the first goods that were sold in Madison, and was 
deputy postmaster during the early days of the Madison office. At the 
same time he bought an interest in the "Lake County Leader," of which 
he was publisher until the paper was sold to the present proprietor, J. 
F. Stahl. Mr. Preston was also editor of the "Old Sentinel" at the time 
it was first organized. He has served as deputy register of deeds, and 
deputy sheriff, and is now serving his third term as clerk of courts. 
Politically he is a stanch Republican, and in 1892 was the only 
Republican officer elected in the county, but in 1894 a Republican 
auditor was elected. He has always been actively interested in all 
matters which tended to develop the local financial affairs, and has 
associated himself in various business organizations, in all of which 
his counsels and executive ability have been utilized to the benefit of 
his associates and of the business in which he engaged. Socially he 
affiliates with the Masonic order, holding memberships in the following 
lodges: Blue lodge, Evergreen No. 17,, F. & A. M., Cyrus chapter, No. 
26, R. A. M., of which he is also secretary; and the Siloam commandery, 
thirty-second-degree Mason. He is also a member of I. O. O. F., Madison 
lodge, No. 20, and encampment, and at various times has filled all the 
different offices of the lodge. He is also a member of the K. of P., of 
Madison, and of General Shields Post, No. 26, G. A. R., and has also at 
different times held all the different offices of this lodge, being 
four times elected commander.

	December 19, 1888, Mr. Preston was united in marriage to Miss 
Bessie Hall, daughter of John and Mary Hall. To this congenial union 
have been born two sons, Charles J., a telegraph operator, and Fred E.