Chester, Illinois

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Chester is a small city and the county seat of Randolph County, Illinois. It sits on a bluff above the Mississippi River, about 61 miles south of St. Louis. The population was 7,640 in 2020.

Chester is known as the Home of Popeye. A large bronze statue of Popeye stands in Elzie C. Segar Memorial Park near the Chester Bridge. The town hosts Popeye’s Picnic each September, with rides, food, music, and a parade.

Founding and name
Chester likely began with Samuel Smith, who built the first home, started a ferry, and began a mill in 1829. The town was named after Chester, England, where Smith’s wife Jane came from.

Early business and industry
Chester’s first shop opened in 1830, along with an oil-seed press. The H. C. Cole Milling Company built a flour mill and helped bring electricity to town. The Gilster-Mary Lee Corp. began in the 1920s as a shoe factory and grew into a major employer, including production of boots during World War II. The Prim Hosiery Mill also grew large.

Parks and recreation
Construction of the Chester Pool started in 1939 as part of the Works Progress Administration and opened in 1942. It closed in 2014 due to repair needs.

Geography and nature
Chester covers about 5.8 square miles, most of it land. Part of the Middle Mississippi River National Wildlife Refuge runs along the Mississippi near Chester.

Economy
Major employers include Gilster-Mary Lee Corp., Menard Correctional Center, and Chester Mental Health Center.

Bridge to Missouri
The Chester Bridge connects Chester to Perry County, Missouri. It was built in 1942 as a toll bridge and tolls ended in 1989.

Education
Chester is served by Chester Community Unit School District No. 139, with Chester High School and Chester Grade School. Parochial schools include St. John Lutheran and St. Mary’s Catholic. The town has Channel 10, the Herald Tribune newspaper (until 2022), and radio station KSGM.

Culture and notable people
Charles Dickens visited in 1842. Mark Twain is said to have stayed at the Cliff House and mentioned Chester in Life on the Mississippi. A mural in the post office, Loading the Packet, is part of a federal art program. Chester was a filming location for In the Heat of the Night (1967) and is mentioned in The Fugitive (1993). There are 11 churches in Chester.