The Didier Collection of Preston Family Papers includes papers of James Patton, Patton's grandson William Preston, and Preston's eldest son, John Preston, all of Montgomery County, Virginia. The Preston family was important in the surveying, settlement, military affairs, and government of Southwest Virginia in the 18th and 19th centuries. Their papers consist of business and legal documents, surveys, and correspondence. Much of the collection relates to John Preston (1764-1827), treasurer of the Commonwealth of Virginia from 1810 to 1819. For further information on the Preston family, see John F. Dorman, The Prestons of Smithfield and Greenfield in Virginia (1982).