Preston Bend Red River Trading Specie — Grayson County

Initial Grayson County settlements in 1836–37 included Preston Bend on the Red River. By the 1850s Preston Bend grew in importance as a landing for passengers and freight in rapidly developing river trade. Preston Bend was the northern end of the Preston Road, the state's oldest trail, extending from the river south toward Austin. Cattle herds passed through the Preston Bend crossing during Reconstruction, providing income when the county faced political instability. Red River trade folklore often places merchant strongboxes and customs specie buried when river landings shifted or railroads bypassed Preston after 1872. Coordinates approximate Preston Bend on the Red River north of Sherman.