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The Commemorative Quarter for Illinois





Our Genealogy Helper

Introduction ...

We have a couple of goals for our Gazetteer:

  • That it be a tool which helps us with planning our trips.
  • We're trying to shape our Gazetteer as a tool to help us understand the community in which our ancestors lived, the community that was part of their daily lives.
  • On our trips, we try to visit those places where our ancestors left their footprints.

By learning about Preston (and the surrounding area) during the time that our ancestors lived, we hope to have a better understanding of both their community and its relationship to their lifes. We hope that this tool helps to give us an insight into their world.

As we add data and organize our Gazetteer to help with our family research, we will be adding to this our Genealogical Helper for Preston. While we don't have information that is specific to any given person or family, we intend to expand our understanding about where and how people lived.

Neighboring Counties ...

When searching for family records, we have frequently made the mistake of not checking the neighboring counties.

For example, we have great-grandparents who lived in the southwest corner of their home county. During their lives, most doctors and hospitals were in the next county to the west. Almost all of the nearby churches and cemeteries were in the county to the south.

So when searching for records, we had our best success by looking in neighboring counties instead of the county in which they lived:  their home county contained property and probate records; the county to the west contained birth and death records; the county to the south contained their burial records. If we hadn't included the neighboring counties, we would have missed many valuable sources of information.

If you're in a similar situation, we hope that the following information helps.

Preston is located in Randolph County.

To see how the shape of Illinois' counties have changed over time, we recommend the Atlas of Historical County Boundaries.

The following counties adjoin and form the boundaries of Randolph County: Jackson, Monroe, Perry, Saint Clair, Washington, Perry (MO) & Sainte Genevieve (MO).

Below are the counties that are near Preston. For each of these counties, we show a sample of those communities that are closest to Preston:

  • Randolph County     (The home county of Preston)
    • The following are listed by their distance from Preston, with the one closest to Preston listed first.
    • Walsh
      (Less than 2 miles to the southeast)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Walsh
      • Walsh is located in Randolph County
    • Evansville
      (4 miles [6.4 km] to the west)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Evansville have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Evansville
      • Evansville is located in Randolph County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 631 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Evansville <2>
    • Baldwin
      (5 miles [8 km] to the north)
    • Houston
      (5 miles [8 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Houston. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<3>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Houston
      • Houston is located in Randolph County
    • Ellis Grove
      (7 miles [11.3 km] to the south)
    • New Palestine
      (7 miles [11.3 km] to the south)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for New Palestine. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<3>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for New Palestine
      • New Palestine is located in Randolph County
    • Blair
      (7 miles [11.3 km] to the southeast)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Blair
      • Blair is located in Randolph County
    • Ruma
      (7 miles [11.3 km] to the west)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Ruma
      • Ruma is located in Randolph County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 300 people
    • Sparta
      (8 miles [12.9 km] to the east)
    • Red Bud
      (10 miles [16.1 km] to the northwest)
    • Modoc
      (10 miles [16.1 km] to the west)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Modoc
      • Modoc is located in Randolph County
    • Bremen
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the southeast)
  • Clinton County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Preston, with the one closest to Preston listed first.
    • New Memphis
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the north)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for New Memphis have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for New Memphis
      • New Memphis is located in Clinton County
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for New Memphis <2>
    • New Baden
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the north)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for New Baden have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for New Baden
      • New Baden is located in Clinton County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 3,205 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for New Baden <2>
    • Damiansville
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the northeast)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Damiansville
      • Damiansville is located in Clinton County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 484 people
  • Jackson County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Preston, with the one closest to Preston listed first.
    • Campbell Hill
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the southeast)
    • Degognia
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the southeast)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Degognia. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<3>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Degognia
      • Degognia is located in Jackson County
    • Ava
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the southeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Ava have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Ava
      • Ava is located in Jackson County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 610 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Ava <2>
    • Jacob
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the southeast)
    • Oraville
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the southeast)
  • Monroe County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Preston, with the one closest to Preston listed first.
    • Hecker
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Hecker have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hecker
      • Hecker is located in Monroe County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 474 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Hecker <2>
    • Renault
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the west)
    • Burksville Station
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the northwest)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Burksville Station
      • Burksville Station is located in Monroe County
    • Burksville
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the northwest)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Burksville
      • Burksville is located in Monroe County
    • Fults
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the west)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Fults have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Fults
      • Fults is located in Monroe County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 28 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Fults <2>
    • Maeystown
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the west)
    • Wartburg
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Wartburg. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<3>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Wartburg
      • Wartburg is located in Monroe County
    • Waterloo
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Waterloo have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Waterloo
      • Waterloo is located in Monroe County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 10,536 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Waterloo <2>
    • Madonnaville
      (23 miles [37 km] to the northwest)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Madonnaville
      • Madonnaville is located in Monroe County
    • Chalfin Bridge
      (23 miles [37 km] to the west)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Chalfin Bridge. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<3>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Chalfin Bridge
      • Chalfin Bridge is located in Monroe County
    • Foster Pond ‑ Historic
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the northwest)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Foster Pond
      • Foster Pond is located in Monroe County
    • Monroe City
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Monroe City have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Monroe City
      • Monroe City is located in Monroe County
  • Perry County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Preston, with the one closest to Preston listed first.
    • Cutler
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the east)
    • Willisville
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the southeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Willisville have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Willisville
      • Willisville is located in Perry County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 578 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Willisville <2>
    • Conant
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the east)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Conant
      • Conant is located in Perry County
    • Winkle
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the east)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Winkle. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<3>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Winkle
      • Winkle is located in Perry County
    • Denmark
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the east)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Denmark
      • Denmark is located in Perry County
    • Pinckneyville
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the east)
    • Pyatts
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the east)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Pyatts
      • Pyatts is located in Perry County
  • Saint Clair County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Preston, with the one closest to Preston listed first.
    • Marissa
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the northeast)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Marissa
      • Marissa is located in Saint Clair County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 1,785 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Marissa <2>
    • Lenzburg
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the north)
    • New Athens
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the north)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for New Athens
      • New Athens is located in Saint Clair County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 1,865 people
    • Lementon
      (18 miles [29 km] to the north)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Lementon. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<3>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Lementon
      • Lementon is located in Saint Clair County
    • Fayetteville
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the north)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Fayetteville have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Fayetteville
      • Fayetteville is located in Saint Clair County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 336 people
    • Saint Libory
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the northeast)
    • Freeburg
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the north)
    • Smithton
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the north)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Smithton have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Smithton
      • Smithton is located in Saint Clair County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 3,812 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Smithton <2>
    • Mascoutah
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the north)
    • Millstadt
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Millstadt have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Millstadt
      • Millstadt is located in Saint Clair County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 3,821 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Millstadt <2>
    • Belleville
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the north)
  • Washington County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Preston, with the one closest to Preston listed first.
    • Clarmin
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the northeast)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Clarmin
      • Clarmin is located in Washington County
    • Caspars
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Caspars. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<3>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Caspars
      • Caspars is located in Washington County
    • Elkton
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the northeast)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Elkton
      • Elkton is located in Washington County
    • Stone Church
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the northeast)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Stone Church
      • Stone Church is located in Washington County
    • Oakdale
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Oakdale have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Oakdale
      • Oakdale is located in Washington County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 201 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Oakdale <2>
    • Venedy
      (23 miles [37 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Venedy have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Venedy
      • Venedy is located in Washington County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 130 people
    • Addieville
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Addieville have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Addieville
      • Addieville is located in Washington County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 236 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Addieville <2>
    • Okawville
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the northeast)
    • Posen
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the east)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Posen have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Posen
      • Posen is located in Washington County
    • Nashville
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the northeast)
  • Jefferson County (MO)
    • The following are listed by their distance from Preston, with the one closest to Preston listed first.
    • Crystal City
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the west)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Crystal City have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Crystal City
      • Crystal City is located in Jefferson County (MO)
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 4,694 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Crystal City <2>
    • Festus
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the west)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Festus
      • Festus is located in Jefferson County (MO)
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 12,114 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Festus <2>
    • Herculaneum
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the west)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Herculaneum have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Herculaneum
      • Herculaneum is located in Jefferson County (MO)
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 4,261 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Herculaneum <2>
  • Perry County (MO)
    • The following are listed by their distance from Preston, with the one closest to Preston listed first.
    • Lithium
      (18 miles [29 km] to the south)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Lithium have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Lithium
      • Lithium is located in Perry County (MO)
    • McBride
      (18 miles [29 km] to the south)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for McBride
      • McBride is located in Perry County (MO)
    • Sereno
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the south)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Sereno
      • Sereno is located in Perry County (MO)
    • Perryville
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the south)
    • Farrar
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the south)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Farrar have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Farrar
      • Farrar is located in Perry County (MO)
    • Eureka
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the south)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Eureka have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Eureka
      • Eureka is located in Perry County (MO)
    • Longtown
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the south)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Longtown. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<3>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Longtown
      • Longtown is located in Perry County (MO)
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 100 people
    • Silver Lake
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the south)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Silver Lake
      • Silver Lake is located in Perry County (MO)
  • Saint Francois County (MO)
    • French Village
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the west)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for French Village have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for French Village
      • French Village is located in Saint Francois County (MO)
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for French Village <2>
  • Sainte Genevieve County (MO)
    • The following are listed by their distance from Preston, with the one closest to Preston listed first.
    • Little Rock Landing ‑ Historic
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Little Rock Landing. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<3>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Little Rock Landing
      • Little Rock Landing is located in Sainte Genevieve County (MO)
    • Sainte Genevieve
      (13 miles [20.9 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Sainte Genevieve have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Sainte Genevieve
      • Sainte Genevieve is located in Sainte Genevieve County (MO)
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 4,406 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Sainte Genevieve <2>
    • Quarry Town
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Quarry Town. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<3>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Quarry Town
      • Quarry Town is located in Sainte Genevieve County (MO)
      • Quarry Town has also been known as:
      • Quarrytown
    • Saint Mary
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the south)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Saint Mary have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Saint Mary
      • Saint Mary is located in Sainte Genevieve County (MO)
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 345 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Saint Mary <2>
    • Marlo ‑ Historic
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Marlo. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<3>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Marlo
      • Marlo is located in Sainte Genevieve County (MO)
    • Clement ‑ Historic
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the west)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Clement. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<3>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Clement
      • Clement is located in Sainte Genevieve County (MO)
    • Zell
      (18 miles [29 km] to the southwest)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Zell
      • Zell is located in Sainte Genevieve County (MO)
    • Ozora
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the southwest)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Ozora
      • Ozora is located in Sainte Genevieve County (MO)
    • Brickeys
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the west)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Brickeys
      • Brickeys is located in Sainte Genevieve County (MO)
      • Former names for Brickeys:
      • Brickeys Gristmill
      • Brickeys Landing
    • Bloomsdale
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the west)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Bloomsdale have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bloomsdale
      • Bloomsdale is located in Sainte Genevieve County (MO)
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 562 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Bloomsdale <2>
    • Needmore
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the west)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Needmore
      • Needmore is located in Sainte Genevieve County (MO)
    • River aux Vases
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the southwest)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for River aux Vases
      • River aux Vases is located in Sainte Genevieve County (MO)
      • Former name for River aux Vases:
      • Staabtown

For an expanded list of the communities that are closest to Preston, see our County-by-County Page for Preston.

Cemeteries Near Preston ...

Below are cemeteries that are in the vicinity of Preston.

This is a new section and is likely to have errors. If you find an error, such as a missing cemetery or we have the wrong name, please let us know. If you know of them, we would also appreciate learning about previous or alternate names.

If you need information about a burial or interment, photos, transcripts, how to contact the cemetery or local authorities, please visit our selection of Genealogy Websites (see below).

If not found below, our Cemetery List for Preston covers a larger area, with the cemeteries listed in alphabetical order.

The following cemeteries are listed based on their distance from Preston, with the one closest to Preston listed first.

  • Preston Cemetery
    (Less than 2 miles to the southwest)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Preston Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Preston Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • St. Pius Cemetery
    (Less than 2 miles to the south)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the St. Pius Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the St. Pius Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Kelly Cemetery
    (2 miles [3.2 km] to the west)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Kelly Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Kelly Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • St. Boniface Cemetery
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the west)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the St. Boniface Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the St. Boniface Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • St. Peters Cemetery
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the west)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the St. Peters Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the St. Peters Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • McCormick Cemetery
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the south)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the McCormick Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the McCormick Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Schmoll Cemetery
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the north)
  • Lively Cemetery
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the east)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Lively Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Lively Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Stipe Cemetery
    (5 miles [8 km] to the south)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Stipe Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Stipe Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Hughes Cemetery
    (5 miles [8 km] to the south)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Hughes Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Hughes Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Lessley Cemetery
    (5 miles [8 km] to the northeast)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Lessley Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Lessley Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • St. Johns Cemetery
    (5 miles [8 km] to the north)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the St. Johns Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the St. Johns Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Continue List   (344 more) ...
    • Baldwin Cemetery
      (6 miles [9.7 km] to the north)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Baldwin Cemetery
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Baldwin Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Trinity Lutheran Cemetery
      (6 miles [9.7 km] to the northwest)
    • St. John Cemetery
      (6 miles [9.7 km] to the west)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the St. John Cemetery
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the St. John Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.

Nearby Communities in 1895 ...

We've built the following list with information that came from an Atlas published by Rand McNally in 1895. The Atlas had details such as the population of the community (which appears to have come from the 1890 Census) and whether there was a post office and/or railroad service available. We also indicate if the community no longer exists and is now historic.<5>

The Rand McNally Atlas shows that in 1895, Preston had a post office and no railroad service.

These communities are listed based on their distance from Preston, with the one closest to Preston listed first.

  • Evansville
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the west)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Evansville have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Evansville
    • Evansville is located in Randolph County
    • Population from the 2020 Census: 631 people
    • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Evansville <2>
  • Houston
    (5 miles [8 km] to the northeast)
    • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Houston. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<3>
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Houston
    • Houston is located in Randolph County
  • Baldwin
    (5 miles [8 km] to the north)
  • Ellis Grove
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the south)
  • New Palestine
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the south)
    • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for New Palestine. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<3>
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for New Palestine
    • New Palestine is located in Randolph County
  • Blair
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the southeast)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Blair
    • Blair is located in Randolph County
  • Ruma
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the west)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Ruma
    • Ruma is located in Randolph County
    • Population from the 2020 Census: 300 people
  • Sparta
    (8 miles [12.9 km] to the east)
  • Modoc
    (10 miles [16.1 km] to the west)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Modoc
    • Modoc is located in Randolph County
  • Red Bud
    (10 miles [16.1 km] to the northwest)
  • Ames
    (10 miles [16.1 km] to the west)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Ames have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Ames
    • Ames is located in Monroe County
  • Bremen
    (11 miles [17.7 km] to the southeast)
  • Continue List   (15 more) ...
    • Marissa
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the northeast)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Marissa
      • Marissa is located in Saint Clair County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 1,785 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Marissa <2>
    • Chester
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the south)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Chester have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Chester
      • Chester is located in Randolph County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 8,145 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Chester <2>
    • Steeleville
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the southeast)

We've also created an expanded list of communities that existed in the 1890's and were located in the area around Preston. See our List of 1890's Communities around Preston.

Newspapers Published in Preston ...

An ongoing effort between the Library of Congress and the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) has resulted in the National Digital Newspaper Program (NDNP).

To share their results, the partnership has created the Chronicling America website. The goal of this partnership is to assemble a database about the current and historic newspapers of the United States. This includes a growing collection of scanned images from selected papers. All of it available to the public on their website.

Using information that we've taken from the Chronicling America website, we've identified 138 newspapers that have been published in the area around Preston.

Although we're unaware of any newspapers that were published in the immediate area of Preston, there are papers which were published within 26 miles [41.8 km]<6>. A list of those papers, sorted by paper name, can be found on the Extended Newspaper List for Preston.

Websites to Help With Your Genealogy Research ...

When we do our genealogical research, we first visit the websites from Cyndi's List, FamilySearch and Genealogy Trails. These websites offer the information directly or else point to where you can find it. Their information is open to everyone.

To help you get started, the following links will take you to the pages that are relevant to Preston:

Unfortunately, we don't know of a website for Preston. If you can help, please contact us through our Feedback Page.

The official website for State of Illinois: https://illinois.gov

Footnotes ...

<1>The location has been supplied by the Geographic Names Information System - which is maintained by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS). While these values should be definitive, we found that accuracy can vary and you should double-check the location if accuracy is required.
<2>While we're fans and frequent users of TripAdvisor, you should know that we're also members of the TripAdvisor affiliate program.
<3>An 'estimated' location is one where we have been given GPS coordinates, but are unable to verify the accuracy of those coordinates. That said, we have some confidence that we have placed the marker near the actual location. A typical reason for being unable to verify a location is that it might be on private property or maybe historic and gone without an obvious trace.
<4>The Find-a-Grave website is an excellent research tool with information about a cemetery's location and interments. They also offer a forum for their members which can provide additional help. More information about Find-a-Grave can be found on their website: findagrave.com.
<5>We use the term 'Historic' broadly and it generally means that the community no longer exists. However, it can also mean that the community might still exist, but was significantly larger or had a more 'official' existence in the past than it does now. Unfortunately our sources of data have proven to be unreliable. If you can provide us with more specific information about Preston, please let us know so that we can improve our accuracy.
<6>Our distances are not driving distances, but are calculated as a 'straight-line' (or point-to-point) distance. A straight line distance ignores obstructions like rivers, canyons, lakes, et cetera - it's truly a line from Point A (ie- Preston) to Point B.Our distance measurements begin at a specific point in Preston. The point we use is located at these GPS coordinates - Latitude: 38.1062, Longitude: -89.8601       In this case, the coordinates for Preston have been provided by the Geographic Names Information System (GNIS).




 

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This page was last modified/updated: 28 Apr 2025