Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Below: maps from 1935 on and the census since 1890.
Preston dates its founding to 1870 (Wikidata). The census first counted it in 1890.
Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.
The first neighbors to add old photos shape how Preston’s history is told.
From Wikipedia’s history of Preston.
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.
Passages that mention Preston, cut from the printed page as they were published.
prospectors seeking investments and the result was the location of additional stores of all kinds, clothing, hardware, drugs, etc. ; those being matters of private inter¬ est. In the line of public matters the first and all absorbing question was a suita¬ ble school building. Preston upon its location was at that time known as sub dis¬ trict No. 8 of the district township of Van Buren, and at that time a law had been passed by our legislature authorizing and establishing what was known as town¬ ship high schools, and we conceived the idea of establishing a township high school at Preston, but when we came to agitate the matter, a strong opposi¬
Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.
Inquest held at Preston July 18, 1900, on the body of an unknown man, supposed to be one Vojtick Sticha, 5040 Winchester avenue, Chicago; found lying along railroad track about two miles east of Preston ; came to his death at Preston on July 18, 1900, at 3 a. m. from injury to head received in a manner and by means unknown to jury. Jurors, D. A. McLaughlin, G. E. Farley, S. N.
Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.
The M. E. Church was formally organized in 1873, with thirty members, which number has since increased to about forty. The Preston Church is a part of the Preston Circuit, including stations at Center, Charlotte and Preston. The parsonage is at the last-named place. The society was incorporated in January, 1877, by Devillo Sweet, William E. Coe, James Heather, Benjamin Halroyd and Lewis Carmen. A parsonage was erected during the summer following the incorporation, at a cost of $1,100. The Pastors since the organization of the Church have been Revs. J. Gilruth, George Crinklow, —
Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.
Preston Reform Club. — This organization resulted from the efforts of Messrs. Baker, Cravens and Bailey, of Maquoketa, who labored in Preston several days. The first meeting of the Club was held in the Union Church January 24, 1878, and was organized with thirty-five members. The pledge ■of membership was the same as that used in other parts of the county.
Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.Scans and text from the Internet Archive. Books published in 1930 or earlier, which are in the public domain.
Woven from the archive, old maps, post office records, the National Register and the people born here.
Born hereFred Schule is born here
Born hereBob Oldis is born here
On the mapFirst mapped by the U.S. Geological Survey
Born hereAl Feuerbach is born here
2009Preston Iowa 20090125 Water Tower
2009Preston Iowa 20090125 W Gillet2
2009Preston Iowa 20090125 W Gillet
2009Preston Iowa 20090125 Town Hall
2009Preston Iowa 20090125 Sign
2009Preston Iowa 20090125 Light-Power
2009Preston Iowa 20090125 High School Sign
2009Preston Iowa 20090125 Food Sign
2009Preston Iowa 20090125 City Hall Library
2009Preston Iowa 20090125 Cafe
2004IAMap-doton-PrestonEvery edition of the U.S. Geological Survey’s map of Preston. Tap a year, or press play to watch the town change.
U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (public domain), via Esri’s collection of the scans. The red ring marks the center of Preston.
Between 489 and 1,120 people in every census since 1890.
14 censuses, 1890–2020.
U.S. Census Bureau decennial counts, from the census table on Preston’s Wikipedia page.
Writers, athletes, leaders and more, ranked by how widely they’re known.
Preston’s post office has been open since 1871.
US Post Offices dataset (Blevins & Helbock, CC0). Places and cemeteries from the USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021).
In 1870, according to Wikidata. Preston’s post office opened in 1871, and the census of 1890 counted 489 people here.
What the archives can’t tell you, neighbors can.
Founding dates: Wikidata, Wikipedia, the U.S. post office records of Blevins & Helbock (CC0) and the Census. Homes by year built: Census ACS 2020–24. National Register of Historic Places: National Park Service (list of May 22, 2026). Old photos, postcards and papers: Wikimedia Commons, the Library of Congress and other public archives, credited on each item’s page. Maps: U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (via Esri) and Sanborn fire-insurance maps (Library of Congress). History text and census tables: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0). Places that used to be: USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021). How TownRatings grades history →
From Wikimedia Commons (11), Wikipedia, Wikidata and Wikipedia for famous people, U.S. Geological Survey historical maps, U.S. Census counts (via Wikipedia), the US Post Offices dataset (Blevins & Helbock), the USGS Geographic Names Information System and old county and town histories (Internet Archive). Archive images are copied here with their credits and licenses, shown on each photo’s page. Refreshed monthly.
