Preston Hoover Thomas was born December 2, 1904, the second child of James Payton (Buck) and Avia F. Eggner Thomas. He grew up on Donaldson Creek on a farm. On June 30, 1928, he married Mary Pauline Bridges, daughter of John T. and Maggie D. Cunningham Bridges of Maple Grove.
After marriage, they moved to Akron, Ohio where he was employed by Goodyear Rubber Company for two years, after which they returned to Donaldson. He helped his father farm and also did some barbering.
In the spring of 1940, he and his family moved to Maple Grove. He got a job as foreman on the W.P.A. for a period of time, also raised tobacco for his father-in-law. Later he did carpentry and assisted Mr. Bridges in surveying land.
His interest in surveying grew and at Mr. Bridges’ death he became the county surveyor. As times grew better, people started buying and selling land so surveying turned into a full time job. Laws changed so he had to go to the University of Kentucky and take a test to become licensed. With only an eighth education, he passed the test with honors. He then became a partner in the engineering firm of Gammel, Travis and Thomas. By this time he had surveyed almost all of Trigg County including sub-divisions and land for the Lake Barkley Lodge.
He always charged a very minimal fee for his work and when his children confronted about it he said “I only want to make a living, not get rich. I’d rather have friends than money.”**
Preston and Mary Pauline were the parents of five children, Harry Clifford Thomas, born in 1929; Bobby Gene Thomas, born in 1931; Nina Beatrice Thomas, born in 1933; Buster James Thomas, born in 1935; and Michael Lane Thomas, born in 1946. Preston died on December 12, 1982 at the Trigg County Hospital. He was buried in the Drury Bridges Family Cemetery in Maple Grove, just down the road from his home.
**Biography from the Preston H. Thomas Memorial, “Trigg County History, Cadiz, Kentucky, Volume Two” published 1987.
Tombstone of Preston H. and Mary P. Thomas
LINEAGE: (Preston Hoover Thomas was the son of James Peyton and Avia Franklin Eggner Thomas, grandson of James Dillard and Sarah Armentia Sholar Thomas and great-grandson of Peyton and Sarah Ethridge Thomas. Peyton was the third child of Cullen and Elizabeth Futrell Thomas. Cullen was the first child of James and Mary Standley Thomas.)
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