Preston Cemetery

Submitted by Lois Kennedy

Cemeteries of Texas Coordinator: Dolores I. Bishop

The community of Preston predates the County of Wharton, having been started sometime circa 1838, in the John Huff League, adjacent to the trail between Matagorda and Egypt. When Wharton County was organized the citizens of the area campaigned to have the county seat located in Preston.

The only evidence today that Preston ever existed is the Preston Cemetery located of FM 1096 near Alligator Slough, some 300' off the main road. In 1957, Iago Junior Historians undertook to clean and restore this cemetery which was overgrown with vines and brush, cattle had knocked over some of the tombstones, and wild animals had dug into the burials. When the job was completed they erected a 120'X 120' fence around the burials and dedicated a granite monument in 1960 to the community of Preston.

Sadly 30 years later in 1987 the cemetery looked much like it did in 1957 before the Junior Historians cleaned it up. The private landowner had taken down the fence and his cattle had knocked the tombstones over and some were removed outside the fenced area.

Merle Hudgins and Anita Northington did a survey in 1987 but out of the original 15 burials noted in 1957, they could find only 9 surviving markers.