Preston, Idaho
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Preston is a city in
Franklin County, Idaho Franklin County is a county located in the U.S. state of Idaho. As of the 2020 Census the county had a population of 14,194. The county seat and largest city is Preston. The county was established in 1913 and named after Franklin D. Richards, ...
, United States. The population was 5,204 at the 2010 census. The city is the
county seat A county seat is an administrative center, seat of government, or capital city of a county or civil parish. The term is in use in Canada, China, Hungary, Romania, Taiwan, and the United States. The equivalent term shire town is used in the US st ...
of Franklin County. It is part of the Logan,
Utah Utah ( , ) is a state in the Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. Utah is a landlocked U.S. state bordered to its east by Colorado, to its northeast by Wyoming, to its north by Idaho, to its south by Arizona, and to it ...
-Idaho
Metropolitan Statistical Area In the United States, a metropolitan statistical area (MSA) is a geographical region with a relatively high population density at its core and close economic ties throughout the area. Such regions are neither legally Incorporated town, incorporate ...
.


History

The
Bear River Massacre The Bear River Massacre, or the Engagement on the Bear River, or the Battle of Bear River, or Massacre at Boa Ogoi, took place in present-day Franklin County, Idaho, on January 29, 1863. After years of skirmishes and food raids on farms and ranc ...
occurred in 1863 at a point a few miles northwest of Preston. The
Bear River Massacre Site Bear River Massacre Site, near Preston, Idaho, is the site of the Bear River Massacre, in which a village of Shoshone Native Americans were attacked by the California Volunteers on January 29, 1863. Estimates of Shoshone casualties are as high a ...
is a
National Historic Landmark A National Historic Landmark (NHL) is a building, district, object, site, or structure that is officially recognized by the United States government for its outstanding historical significance. Only some 2,500 (~3%) of over 90,000 places listed ...
. In 1866, Latter-day Saint (LDS, or Mormon) pioneers arrived in the northern end of the
Cache Valley Cache Valley is a valley of northern Utah and southeast Idaho, United States, that includes the Logan metropolitan area. The valley was used by 19th century mountain men and was the site of the 1863 Bear River Massacre. The name, Cache Valley i ...
, stretching across southeastern
Idaho Idaho ( ) is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the Western United States. To the north, it shares a small portion of the Canada–United States border with the province of British Columbia. It borders the states of Montana and Wyom ...
and northeastern
Utah Utah ( , ) is a state in the Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. Utah is a landlocked U.S. state bordered to its east by Colorado, to its northeast by Wyoming, to its north by Idaho, to its south by Arizona, and to it ...
. They founded a community in that location and named it Worm Creek, but in 1881 changed it to Preston because leaders of the
LDS Church The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, informally known as the LDS Church or Mormon Church, is a Nontrinitarianism, nontrinitarian Christianity, Christian church that considers itself to be the Restorationism, restoration of the ...
in
Salt Lake City Salt Lake City (often shortened to Salt Lake and abbreviated as SLC) is the Capital (political), capital and List of cities and towns in Utah, most populous city of Utah, United States. It is the county seat, seat of Salt Lake County, Utah, Sal ...
objected to the name "Worm Creek" being part of any church congregation's name.Baltzar W. Peterson, ''Historical Scrapbook of Preston and Vicinity'' (Carnegie Library: Preston, Idaho).Clarence G. Judy
"A History of Preston, Idaho"
(Brigham Young University: MA Thesis, 1961) p. 36.
The name Preston was suggested by a local member to honor
William B. Preston William Ballard Preston (November 25, 1805 – November 16, 1862) was an American politician who served as a Confederate States Senator from Virginia from February 18, 1862, until his death in November. He previously served as the 19th United S ...
, who at the time was president of the LDS Church's Cache Stake. It was not until the 1880s while William C. Parkinson was serving as the
bishop A bishop is an ordained clergy member who is entrusted with a position of authority and oversight in a religious institution. In Christianity, bishops are normally responsible for the governance of dioceses. The role or office of bishop is ca ...
of the Preston LDS
Ward Ward may refer to: Division or unit * Hospital ward, a hospital division, floor, or room set aside for a particular class or group of patients, for example the psychiatric ward * Prison ward, a division of a penal institution such as a pris ...
that a regular townsite was laid out.


Geography

According to the
United States Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau (USCB), officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the U.S. Federal Statistical System, responsible for producing data about the American people and economy. The Census Bureau is part of the ...
, the city has a total area of , of which, is land and is water. Nearby is the Cub River Canyon, which is a popular recreation area. Within Preston itself,
U.S. Highway 91 U.S. Route 91 or U.S. Highway 91 (US-91) is a north–south United States highway running from Brigham City, Utah, to Idaho Falls, Idaho, in the U.S. states of Idaho and Utah. Despite the "1" as the last digit in the number, US-91 is no lon ...
is the main north-south street, State Street. By driving south on US-91, it is a 25-minute drive from Preston to the larger
Logan, Utah Logan is a city in Cache County, Utah, United States. The 2020 census recorded the population was 52,778. Logan is the county seat of Cache County and the principal city of the Logan metropolitan area, which includes Cache County and Franklin ...
. Oneida Street, also State Highway 36 is the primary west-east road. Preston is a half-hour drive from
Interstate 15 Interstate 15 (I-15) is a major Interstate Highway System, Interstate Highway in the western United States, running through Southern California and the Intermountain West. I-15 begins near the Mexico–United States border, Mexican border i ...
.


Climate

Preston has a warm-summer
humid continental climate A humid continental climate is a climatic region defined by Russo-German climatologist Wladimir Köppen in 1900, typified by four distinct seasons and large seasonal temperature differences, with warm to hot (and often humid) summers and freezing ...
(
Köppen climate classification The Köppen climate classification is one of the most widely used climate classification systems. It was first published by German-Russian climatologist Wladimir Köppen (1846–1940) in 1884, with several later modifications by Köppen, notabl ...
: ''Dfb'').


Demographics


2010 census

As of the
census A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording and calculating information about the members of a given population. This term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common censuses incl ...
of 2010, there were 5,204 people, 1,751 households, and 1,327 families residing in the city. The
population density Population density (in agriculture: standing stock or plant density) is a measurement of population per unit land area. It is mostly applied to humans, but sometimes to other living organisms too. It is a key geographical term.Matt RosenberPopul ...
was . There were 1,873 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 93.7%
White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no hue). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully reflect and scatter all the visible wavelengths of light. White on ...
, 0.2%
African American African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American" generally denotes descendants of ens ...
, 0.7% Native American, 0.2%
Asian Asian may refer to: * Items from or related to the continent of Asia: ** Asian people, people in or descending from Asia ** Asian culture, the culture of the people from Asia ** Asian cuisine, food based on the style of food of the people from Asi ...
, 0.1%
Pacific Islander Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the list of islands in the Pacific Ocean, Pacific Islands. As an ethnic group, ethnic/race (human categorization), racial term, it is used to describe the original p ...
, 3.3% from
other races Other often refers to: * Other (philosophy), a concept in psychology and philosophy Other or The Other may also refer to: Film and television * ''The Other'' (1913 film), a German silent film directed by Max Mack * ''The Other'' (1930 film), a ...
, and 1.7% from two or more races.
Hispanic The term ''Hispanic'' ( es, hispano) refers to people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or Hispanidad. The term commonly applies to countries with a cultural and historical link to Spain and to Vic ...
or
Latino Latino or Latinos most often refers to: * Latino (demonym), a term used in the United States for people with cultural ties to Latin America * Hispanic and Latino Americans in the United States * The people or cultures of Latin America; ** Latin A ...
of any race were 7.5% of the population. There were 1,751 households, of which 42.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 62.9% were
married couples Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognized union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children, and between t ...
living together, 9.3% had a female householder with no husband present, 3.5% had a male householder with no wife present, and 24.2% were non-families. 21.3% of all households were made up of individuals, and 10.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.92 and the average family size was 3.43. The median age in the city was 31.7 years. 33.2% of residents were under the age of 18; 8.3% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 24.1% were from 25 to 44; 19.2% were from 45 to 64; and 15.2% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 49.5% male and 50.5% female.


2000 census

As of the
census A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording and calculating information about the members of a given population. This term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common censuses incl ...
of 2000, there were 4,682 people, 1,529 households, and 1,200 families residing in the city. The population density was . There were 1,640 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 95.22%
White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no hue). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully reflect and scatter all the visible wavelengths of light. White on ...
, 5.04%
Hispanic The term ''Hispanic'' ( es, hispano) refers to people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or Hispanidad. The term commonly applies to countries with a cultural and historical link to Spain and to Vic ...
or
Latino Latino or Latinos most often refers to: * Latino (demonym), a term used in the United States for people with cultural ties to Latin America * Hispanic and Latino Americans in the United States * The people or cultures of Latin America; ** Latin A ...
, 0.09%
African American African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American" generally denotes descendants of ens ...
, 0.45% Native American, 0.13%
Asian Asian may refer to: * Items from or related to the continent of Asia: ** Asian people, people in or descending from Asia ** Asian culture, the culture of the people from Asia ** Asian cuisine, food based on the style of food of the people from Asi ...
, 0.06%
Pacific Islander Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the list of islands in the Pacific Ocean, Pacific Islands. As an ethnic group, ethnic/race (human categorization), racial term, it is used to describe the original p ...
, 3.12% from
other races Other often refers to: * Other (philosophy), a concept in psychology and philosophy Other or The Other may also refer to: Film and television * ''The Other'' (1913 film), a German silent film directed by Max Mack * ''The Other'' (1930 film), a ...
, and 0.94% from two or more races. There were 1,529 households, out of which 44.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 67.2% were
married couples Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognized union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children, and between t ...
living together, 8.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 21.5% were non-families. 20.0% of all households were made up of individuals, and 11.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.01 and the average family size was 3.50. In the city, the population was spread out, with 35.3% under the age of 18, 10.5% from 18 to 24, 24.1% from 25 to 44, 15.9% from 45 to 64, and 14.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 28 years. For every 100 females, there were 95.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 90.2 males. The median income for a household in the city was $35,204, and the median income for a family was $39,537. Males had a median income of $29,247 versus $20,652 for females. The
per capita income Per capita income (PCI) or total income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. It is calculated by dividing the area's total income by its total population. Per capita i ...
for the city was $13,751. About 5.9% of families and 6.7% of the population were below the
poverty line The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for t ...
, including 5.9% of those under age 18 and 6.2% of those age 65 or over.


Arts and culture


Festivals

For several years the city held a "Napoleon Dynamite Festival" in the summer. Many of the featured festival themes related to events occurring during the film. For example:
Tetherball Tetherball is a game where two players use their hands to strike a volleyball which is suspended from a stationary metal pole by a rope or tether. The two players stand on opposite sides of the pole, and each tries to hit the ball one way; one ...
Tournament,
Tater Tot Tater tots are grated potatoes formed into small cylinders and deep-fried, often served as a side dish. The name "tater tot" is a registered trademark of the American frozen food company Ore-Ida, but is often used as a generic term. "Tater" is s ...
Eating Contest, Moon Boot Dance, Impersonation, Look-A-Like Contest,
Football Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kicking a ball to score a goal. Unqualified, the word ''football'' normally means the form of football that is the most popular where the word is used. Sports commonly c ...
Throwing Contest and more. In 2004 there was a single day event that drew approximately 300 people. Although this was not a large crowd, it did help raise $1,500 for the Preston School District Education Foundation. In 2005 an estimated 6,000 people attended the event, but that number dropped to an estimated 400 people in 2006. There are no plans for reviving the event. The 2007 and 2008 event was held along with the 'That Famous Preston Night Rodeo' in Preston. 'That Famous Preston Night Rodeo' is usually held in late July, along with the Franklin County parade. The rodeo's name ('That Famous Preston Night Rodeo') comes from it being the first rodeo held during night time. It includes many events such as bull riding, barrel racing, and other popular events. The Franklin county parade includes floats and advertisements of local businesses. The rodeo and parade remain one of the town's most popular local events and traditions.


Festival of Lights

Each year Preston holds the "Idaho Festival of Lights", which starts the day after Thanksgiving and goes until December 31. The festival was started by two local business men (Wayne Bell and Walter Ross) along with many other community organizations to help celebrate Christmas within the community. The festival consists of a lighted parade, fireworks, and displays in the city park. The merchants along the main street of Preston have their store fronts decorated with Christmas lights during the festival. A key event of the festival is the International Bed Race, which is held on the Saturday following Thanksgiving on the main street of Preston. Additional events are a kids' parade and free movie.


Education

Preston School District operates public schools, including Preston High School.


Media

Much of the 2004 film ''
Napoleon Dynamite ''Napoleon Dynamite'' is a 2004 American comedy film produced by Jeremy Coon, Chris Wyatt and Sean Covel, written by Jared and Jerusha Hess and directed by Jared Hess. The film stars Jon Heder in the role of the titular character, a nerdy high- ...
'' was shot in the city of Preston, including at Preston High School, located several blocks from
U.S. Highway 91 U.S. Route 91 or U.S. Highway 91 (US-91) is a north–south United States highway running from Brigham City, Utah, to Idaho Falls, Idaho, in the U.S. states of Idaho and Utah. Despite the "1" as the last digit in the number, US-91 is no lon ...
. Several area landmarks can be seen throughout the film. Preston is the home of the film's creators,
Jared and Jerusha Hess Jared Lawrence Hess (born July 18, 1979) and Jerusha Elizabeth Hess ( Demke; born May 12, 1980) are husband-and-wife American filmmakers best known for their work on ''Napoleon Dynamite'' (2004), '' Nacho Libre'' (2006) and ''Gentlemen Broncos ...
; Jared attended high school in Preston.


Notable people

*
Mervyn S. Bennion Mervyn Sharp Bennion (May 5, 1887 – December 7, 1941) was a United States Navy captain who served during World War I and was killed while he was in command of battleship during the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor in World War II. He posth ...
, Leonard C. Brostrom and Nathan K. Van Noy residents and former residents of Preston were awarded the
Medal of Honor The Medal of Honor (MOH) is the United States Armed Forces' highest military decoration and is awarded to recognize American soldiers, sailors, marines, airmen, guardians and coast guardsmen who have distinguished themselves by acts of valor. ...
. All were members of
the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, informally known as the LDS Church or Mormon Church, is a Nontrinitarianism, nontrinitarian Christianity, Christian church that considers itself to be the Restorationism, restoration of the ...
. Three of five Latter-Day Saint
World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
Medal of Honor recipients were from Preston. * L. Edward Brown - politician and a general authority of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. * Ross T. Christensen - archeologist. *
Spencer J. Condie Spencer Joel Condie (born August 27, 1940) has been a general authority of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) since 1989. Condie previously worked as a professor at Brigham Young University (BYU) and also served as a mis ...
- a general authority of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. * Matthew Cowley - missionary; member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. * Earl C. Crockett - economist; served as acting president of Brigham Young University. * Richard F. Daines - Commissioner of the New York State Department of Health. * Richard C. Edgley - a general authority of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. * R. E. Edlefsen - four term mayor of Boise, Idaho. * Robert L. Geddes - 39th President ''pro tempore'' of the Idaho Senate. *
Jared and Jerusha Hess Jared Lawrence Hess (born July 18, 1979) and Jerusha Elizabeth Hess ( Demke; born May 12, 1980) are husband-and-wife American filmmakers best known for their work on ''Napoleon Dynamite'' (2004), '' Nacho Libre'' (2006) and ''Gentlemen Broncos ...
- husband-and-wife filmmakers known for their comedy films, particularly ''
Napoleon Dynamite ''Napoleon Dynamite'' is a 2004 American comedy film produced by Jeremy Coon, Chris Wyatt and Sean Covel, written by Jared and Jerusha Hess and directed by Jared Hess. The film stars Jon Heder in the role of the titular character, a nerdy high- ...
''. * Archie Johnson Inger - artist, author and religious lecturer. * Harold B. Lee (1899-1973) - educator; president of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints.


References


External links


Official site
{{Authority control Cities in Idaho County seats in Idaho Cities in Franklin County, Idaho Logan metropolitan area Populated places established in 1866 1866 establishments in Idaho Territory