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Chester, Illinois

Chester, Illinois
Cultural Districts
10 Bridge Bypass Road
Chester Illinois 62233

Information

Welcome center volunteer hours are from Monday to Friday, 9 AM – 4 PM
618.826.3171
lat: 37.9049207 long: -89.8339498

Chester, Illinois is a small town located on the banks of the Mississippi River.  It was founded in 1816 as a port on the western frontier centered around a flour mill, castor oil production, and moving goods up and down the Mississippi River.  “Where Illinois began,” became Chester’s motto as the town is just downstream of the first capital of Illinois, Kaskaskia–now an island created by the River.  The first governor of Illinois, Shadrach Bond, is buried in Chester on a plot in Evergreen Cemetery known as the smallest state park in Illinois.

Chester is the county seat of Randolph County where flags on display next to the courthouse depict the historic governing bodies of the area. The French (fleur-de-lis flag) settled in the area in the late 1600’s and governed until the end of the French & Indian War in 1763 when the British took control.  The Union Jack flew over the area until the Revolutionary War when Colonel George Rogers Clark and his Long Knives captured Kaskaskia on July 4, 1778.  Thereafter, the area was part of the Illinois Country and the Commonwealth of Virginia.  The Illinois state flag and the United States flag also fly at the courthouse.

In late 1803, Meriwether Lewis and William Clark stopped to engage additional military volunteers (at least 11) for their Voyage of Discovery of the Louisiana Territory.  At least 5 of the men chosen were permanent members of the voyage of discovery and made the entire trip to the Pacific Ocean and back.

Chester is the home of comic and cartoon character Popeye the Sailorman.  The creator of Popeye, Elzie Segar, grew up in Chester.  The 1875 opera house where he worked is now a Popeye museum and shop.  Popeye’s first appearance was in the Thimble Theatre comic strip in 1929.  Sprinkled throughout Chester are granite statues depicting various characters from the Popeye comic strip and cartoon.  These statues are the result of yearly fundraising that began with the placement of a bronze Popeye statue next to the Chester Bridge, the only place to cross the Mississippi between St. Louis and Cape Girardeau, MO.

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Nearby Attractions

Distance Unit:

Elzie C. Segar Memorial Park
Elzie C. Segar Memorial Park

Chester Welcome Center, 10 Bridge Bypass Rd, Chester, IL 62233, USA
Distance: 0.00 Away

General History

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Chester Welcome Center
Chester Welcome Center

Chester Welcome Center, Bridge Bypass Road, Chester, IL, USA
Distance: 0.00 Away

Museums and Interpretive Centers

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Popeye Character Trail
Popeye Character Trail

Segar Memorial Park
Distance: 0.01 Away

General History Outdoor Experiences

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Chester Bridge
Chester Bridge

Chester Bridge, Chester, IL, USA
Distance: 0.25 Away

Viewpoints

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Frederick Weistar House
Frederick Weistar House

Frederick Weistar House Historic Site, Chestnut Street, Chester, IL, USA
Distance: 0.28 Away

Other

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Randolph County Courthouse and Annex
Randolph County Courthouse and Annex

Randolph County IL Courthouse, West Taylor Street, Chester, Illinois, USA
Distance: 0.32 Away

Museums and Interpretive Centers

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St. Nicholas Landmark
St. Nicholas Landmark

St. Nicholas Landmark, Ferry Street, Chester, IL, USA
Distance: 0.41 Away

Food and Drinks

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Cohen Memorial Home
Cohen Memorial Home

Cohen Memorial Home, Harrison Street, Chester, IL, USA
Distance: 0.60 Away

Guided Tours Viewpoints

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Old Fire Station
Old Fire Station

822 Swanwick St, Chester, IL 62233, USA
Distance: 0.65 Away

General History

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Spinach Can Collectibles
Spinach Can Collectibles

Spinach Can Collectibles, State Street, Chester, IL, USA
Distance: 0.76 Away

Shopping

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Christian Weinrich House
Christian Weinrich House

217 Opdyke Street, Chester, IL, USA
Distance: 0.80 Away

General History

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Horse Island Lewis & Clark Historic Marker
Horse Island Lewis & Clark Historic Marker

174 MO-51, Perryville, MO 63775, USA
Distance: 0.80 Away

LC Features

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