Preston, Washington, traces its roots to the mid-1880s, emerging as a road and rail waypoint. A key milestone came in 1888 when the Seattle, Lake Shore & Eastern Railroad—and later the Northern Pacific—reached the area, which spurred logging and milling activities. Named in 1893 for railroad official William T. Preston, the community officially gained a post office with John Hudson as its first postmaster.
In 1896, entrepreneurs led by August Lovegren founded the Preston Mill Company, initiating sawmill and shingle operations. These mills, supported by an ingenious tramway that hauled lumber uphill to the railroad, anchored the local economy well into the 20th century . By 1909, Preston boasted around 500 residents, various mills, a school, hotel, church, and general store, establishing itself as a vibrant timber town.
Early infrastructure improvements—like the 1912 county road reroute and the 1914 Sunset Highway bridge—eased access and connected Preston to broader routes. The historic Preston Community Center, built in 1939 as a WPA project, remains a landmark.
After peak operations, the mill closed around 1990, the railroad was abandoned, and Preston gradually transitioned into a small, unincorporated residential community. Its legacy lives on in preserved infrastructure, the nearby tramway ruins, and its foothill setting along Interstate 90 .