Gilbert, Frank T.  "Historic Sketches of Walla Walla, Whitman, Columbia and
Garfield Counties, Washington Territory; and Umatilla County, Oregon." Portland,
OR: Print & Lithographing House of A.  G.  Walling, 1882.  p. a30.

WILLIAM G.  and PLATT A.  PRESTON

	The firm of Preston Brothers, proprietors of the Washington Mills, of
Waitsburg, has long been favorably known along the Columbia river.  They were
born in Saratoga county, N.  Y., the former November 23, 1832, and the latter
November 1, 1837.  Calvin Preston, their father, is a physician, and is still
living there at the ripe age of eighty-five years.  In 1853 and 1854, William
made two voyages to Liverpool as a sailor, and in the fall of 1854 went to
Western Iowa, where he was engaged in running a steam ferryboat between
Belleview and St. Mary's, on the Missouri river, twelve miles below the site of
Omaha.  Platt went there in 1855, and assisted his brother, the boat being
changed to ply between Council Bluffs and Omaha.  They had an interest in the
Council Bluffs & Nebraska Ferry Company, proprietors of the new town of Omaha.
In 1857 Platt took charge of the ferry and William took a boat plying up and
clown the river, until the fall of 1858, when he was carried off to Colorado in
the rush to Pike's Peak.  He was one of the original proprietors of the town of
Auraria, now a portion of Denver City.  Platt followed him in the spring of
1860, and the two brothers remained in the Colorado mines until 1862, when they
went to Elk City, Idaho.  William went on to Lewiston, and engaged for several
years in the business of teaming and draying.  Platt went through the mines of
Idaho and Montana, and in 1864 and 1865 was engaged in merchandising in Warren's
Diggings, Idaho.  In the fail of 1865 they came to Waitsburg and purchased a
half interest in the Washington Mills from their founder, S.  M.  Wait, and in
1870 became the sole proprietors.  In 1871 they formed a copartnership with
Paine Bros.  & Moore, of Walla Walla, in the milling anti merchandising
business, which continued several years.  From 1875 to 1881 they were in a like
manner associated with E.  L.  Powell.  At present they are devoting their
attention to the mill. This has three run of stone, with a capacity of 130 bbls,
per clay.  The main building is 30 x 50, with wings on three sides.  Their store
room has a capacity for 50,000 bu.  of wheat and 5,000 bbls.  of flour.  They
are cultivating 1,800 acres of wheat near Waitsburg.  William was a member 'of
the Legislature during the last session.  They are members of various
fraternities, and Platt was Master of the Grand Lodge of Washington in 1877.

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Submitted to the WA.  Bios Project in February 2007 by Diana Smith.

Notice: These biographies were transcribed for the Washington Biographies
Project.  Unless otherwise stated, no further information is available on the
individual featured in the biographies.