Preston is an

unincorporated community An unincorporated area is a region that is not governed by a local municipal corporation. Widespread unincorporated communities and areas are a distinguishing feature of the United States and Canada. Most other countries of the world either have ...

Sonoma County Sonoma County () is a county (United States), county located in the U.S. state of California. As of the 2020 United States Census, its population was 488,863. Its county seat and largest city is Santa Rosa, California, Santa Rosa. It is to the n ...

California California is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States, located along the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the List of states and territori ...

, United States. The community is on

U.S. Route 101 U.S. Route 101, or U.S. Highway 101 (US 101), is a north–south United States Numbered Highway that runs through the states of California, Oregon, and Washington, on the West Coast of the United States. It is also known as (The Royal Roa ...

north of Cloverdale.

History

Preston derives its name from Madame Emily Preston (née Burke), a

faith healer Faith healing is the practice of prayer and gestures (such as laying on of hands) that are believed by some to elicit divine intervention in spiritual and physical healing, especially the Christian practice. Believers assert that the healing ...

who established a religious colony and health resort at her husband's ranch in 1875. Revenue from Preston's ministry and the settlement of followers in the area led to the construction of a church, railroad depot, post office, and a commercial district on both sides of the Russian River. The community began a slow decline after Preston's death in 1909, continuing to hold services into the 1940s. Most of the buildings associated with the Preston community were destroyed in a wildfire in 1988.

References

Unincorporated communities in California Unincorporated communities in Sonoma County, California {{SonomaCountyCA-geo-stub