Back in 2009 a forum thread began on DallasHistory.org and it is still continuing now in 2013. The series of posts is called Preston Point Before Lake Texoma, and it is full of delightful history regarding the history of Preston, TX before it was submerged forever by the creation of Lake Texoma. You will be entertained and fascinated reading the various posts full of information, and seeing the wonderful photos shared here In case there's no time or interest to click over to the forum thread, I'll summarize some of its juicy contents for you. Don't miss the famous characters straight out of Texas history books associated with the area described by the Handbook of Texas Online as, "Washita Bend (of the Red River) is now more commonly known as Preston Bend at Lake Texoma." Posted by MC Toyer in 2012: "Holland Coffee and Silas Colville operated several trading posts in Indian Territory before the final one at Washita Bend on Red River, later named Preston. They also had business interests at Fort Smith / Van Buren where they likely first met John Neely Bryan. Bryan would later visit Coffee in Texas and was employed for a while at the Washita Bend post before his return to found Dallas in late 1841. There is a replica of Coffee's Cache Creek Trading Post on the grounds of the Great Plains Museum in Lawton Oklahoma. Another closely associated with Coffee, Colville and Bryan was the half-breed Jesse Chisholm, namesake of the famous cattle trail through Indian Territory. When Bryan left Dallas in 1855 he spent some time with Chisholm in Indian Territory then went to California before returning to Dallas several years later. Sam Houston was also associated with Chisholm, Coffee and Colville at Fort Gibson in Indian Territory." Wow, who knew? In an earlier posting in 2009 MC Toyer said, "It has been written that Coffee's Trading Post and ferry were located to service those arriving on the north bank on either side of the Washita and the bluff above the post was a prominent landmark. There were even river boats and barges that came that far from Shreveport when the Red was high enough." Don't you love that picture in your mind of river boats and barges traveling the old Red River, stopping at a trading post? MC Toyer gives us some geographical details to add to our mind-pictures: "From the maps and historical accounts Coffee's Trading Post lay below and northeast of [Rock Bluff/Rocky Point] just beyond the mouth of Little Mineral Creek. The original trail south crossed the creek then made a fairly steep climb up the west face of the bluff coming onto the priairie between the two draws. The bluff was later known as Hannah Hill and present Hanna Drive along the ridge marks the original trail. There is a large sandstone obelisk beside Hanna Drive but I do not know when it was placed there or by whom. There is a Granite Centennial Historical Marker commemorating Coffee's Trading House at the east end of Sunset Drive on Preston Penninsula just beyond the Preston Bend Cemetery. It was moved there about 1945 as the filling lake would have cut off access and eventually covered it. The original location was at Coffee's brick burial crypt. [He was kiiled in a street fight at Preston in 1846] His remains were removed about the same time as the marker to the Preston Bend Cemetery." Let us know by posting here if you have any personal knowledge or additional information on the history of Preston Point or your own photos of the places mentioned.