Byron W.
Preston (1913 - 1934)
Served on the Iowa
Supreme Court from January 1, 1913, to December 31, 1924. For two years he was
Chief Justice.
Born at Newton, Iowa,
February 13, 1858 - the first native Iowan to serve on the Iowa Supreme Court.
He attended Iowa College [now Grinnell), after which he entered the mercantile
business in Newton. In 1883 he went to Oskaloosa to read law in a private law
office and was admitted to the bar in 1884. For four years from 1892 he was
County Attorney of Mahaska County. In 1902 he was elected Judge of the District
Court, where he continued to serve until elected to the Supreme Court. After
his retirement from the court he spent much of his time in the state of
California.
Justice Preston died in
Oskaloosa January 18, 1939.
