Preston Mill Tramway

The Preston Mill Company operated a lumber mill in Preston from 1896 to 1990. The mainline happened to be higher than the sawmill and it was impracticable to build a spur. The sawmill instead used a tramway to transport the lumber from the mill to the railroad. 

In 1912, County Road No. 186 was improved and the highway was rerouted on to what is now 307th Ave. SE. It ran south on 307th Ave SE and crossed the tracks to meet the current highway. Here the road turned to the left to continue down the hill. This is where the Preston community Center is located today. The first bridge over the tram built in 1912, and was a wooden bridge. In 1923, when the highway was improved again, a concrete bridge was built over the tramway. This bridge is still in use today. The Preston Mill cut it's last board in 1990 and lay abandoned for many years. Today the old mill grounds is now a county park.