Dallas Poston is the dispenser of justice in his section of Shasta County, as well as a farmer on a large scale on what is known as the Lilly ranch, one of the best ranches in that part of the county.  He is of good old Virginia and Kentucky stock, which came originally from Scotland.  His grandfather, Henry Poston, was born in Kentucky, and was a soldier in the war of 1812; his father, William Harrison Poston, was born in Virginia, and was a soldier in the Mexican war; his son, the subject of this sketch, was born in Virginia January 9, 1844, and he also served his country in the great civil war.  He enlisted in Company K, of the Missouri Volunteer Cavalry, when a youth of only seventeen, and was consequently too young to receive promotion; but he was promoted before the close of the war to the position of Second Sergeant.  His mother, Louisa (Johnson) Poston, was a native of Virginia, and he was the second child of a family of nine children.

            After his service in the army he turned his attention to farming in Missouri for a time, and then emigrated to Kansas and purchased 160 acres of land, upon which he built and which he otherwise improved.  In April, 1873, he came to Lake County, California, and worked in the quicksilver mines successfully four years.  He then started and ran a meat-market six years, when he sold and removed to Middletown, in that county, and ran the Lake County Hotel for a year.  Then, in 1887, he went to the Lilly ranch in Shasta County, where he now resides, and is sowing about 320 acres of land to wheat, barley and oats.

            Mr. Poston was married in 1864, to Miss Mary Jane Funk, a native of Missouri, and they have had nine children, seven of whom are living, namely:  William H., Cory B., Winnie E., born in Missouri; Sarah and Chas. A., born in Kansas, and Ira, Emery, Evan and Omar, born in California.  Mr. Poston’s political views are Democratic.  He has held the office of Supervisor in Lake County for several years and now holds the office of Justice of the Peace in Shasta County.  He is a member of the A.O.U.W. and of the I.O.O.F., and has been District Deputy in both orders.

Source: Memorial & Biographical History of Northern California, The Lewis Publishing Co., 1891
Transcribed by Kathy Sedler