Chester

An old river town, most of which sits atop a bluff high above the river, Chester draws visitors in with its Popeye-themed attractions, but it is also near a collection of old French Colonial villages and some good hiking.

Get your questions answered at the Chester Welcome Center next to the bridge (10 Bridge Bypass Rd.; 618.826.3171).

In 1829, Samuel Smith built a cabin next to the river, opened a small hotel, and opened ferry service to Missouri, which is why the place was first called Smith’s Landing. Smith’s wife, Jane Thomas, was from Chester, England, which is apparently the source of the town’s current name.

Chester’s first important product was castor oil, which it produced in large quantities and shipped up and down the Mississippi. Nathan Cole opened a grain mill in 1837. His company was later powered by an electric generator that produced more electricity than it needed, so the company directed the extra power to the city’s street lights, making Chester one of the first cities to enjoy the luxury. The company is still operating today as Ardent Mills, which is part of food giant ConAgra.

The Menard Correctional Center has also provided a steady source of employment; it opened in 1878 and has housed some of the state’s most notorious criminals, including John Wayne Gacy.

By the end of the 19th century, the city began expanding away from the riverfront and up to the top of the bluffs. The International Shoe Company built a factory on the hills above the river, but the city lost many of its manufacturing jobs in the 1960s.

Popeye creator Elzie Segar was born and raised in Chester; many of the characters from his cartoon strip are based on people he knew in Chester.

It’s a little bit afield from Chester, nearly a half-hour-drive south, but Piney Creek Reserve Nature Preserve (618.826.2706) is worth a detour. The preserve is home to the largest collection of rock art (petroglyphs and pictographs) in Illinois, some of which are 1,500 years old (and not always easy to identify). Besides that, it’s a darn pretty place to hike around. From Highway 3 south of Chester, go east on Hog Hill Road to Rock Crusher Road. The signs will lead you the rest of the way.

Just south of Chester, the two thousand-acre Turkey Bluffs State Fish and Wildlife Area (4301 S. Lake Dr.; 618.826.2706) has several miles of hiking trails and a good overlook of the river.

The Gothic Court House Museum (1 Taylor St.; 618.826.5000, x112) is the only remaining section of the second Randolph County courthouse. It was built in 1864 and now houses a museum. Its star attraction is the old electric chair from Menard prison, which was last used for an execution in 1938. The museum also has a lot of interesting exhibits and photographs of Kaskaskia. The fifth floor of the courthouse (next door) has a good view of the Mississippi River and the floodplain; you have to pass through security to get to it.

A series of Popeye-themed statues around town pay tribute to Elzie Segar. The original Popeye statue was installed in 1977 in Segar Park next to the Mississippi River bridge. In 2006 the city began a new effort to memorialize other Popeye characters with statues of their own. As of 2018, there are fourteen; a new statue is unveiled at the annual Popeye Picnic.

You didn’t come all this way to go home empty-handed, so make time to scan the shelves at Spinach Can Collectibles (1001 State St.; 618.826.4567), which has an impressive collection of Popeye-themed merchandise.

The French Creole Pierre Menard Home State Historic Site (4230 Kaskaskia Rd.; 618.859.3031) is a must-see site if you’re interested in the area’s French Colonial history. Menard was born in Quebec in 1767 and moved to Kaskaskia in 1790. He made a lot of money running a trading post and went on to an impressive political career. He served as Indian agent for a while, was selected for the Indiana and Illinois Territorial legislatures, and was Illinois’ first Lieutenant Governor. He built the house in the 1810s, which is a magnificent example of frontier Creole architecture. It’s a fifteen-minute drive north of Chester.

Fort Kaskaskia State Park (Ellis Grove: 4372 Park Rd.; 618.859.3741) sprawls over 200 acres atop a bluff along the Mississippi River. The small fort—it only had a three-room barrack and a kitchen—was built around 1759 to defend the village of Kaskaskia but was probably never completed. The site of the old fort has great views of the river and of the location where the old village of Kaskaskia once thrived. The park has plenty of room to picnic and walk around.

The Popeye Picnic takes place the weekend after Labor Day and features a grand parade and the unveiling of a new Popeye-themed statue.

At St. Nicholas Landmark (111 Ferry St.; 618.826.7150), you can enjoy a craft beer and a hearty sandwich in a historic riverfront building along the Mississippi River.

Reid’s Harvest House (2440 State St.; 618.826.4933) is popular for their delicious, buffet-style food, with options that change every day.

Chester has a few chain motels along the main routes.

There is a campground at Fort Kaskaskia State Historic Site (Ellis Grove: 4372 Park Rd.; 618.859.3741), with primitive tent sites and 32 sites with electricity.

Heading upriver? Check out Ellis Grove.

Heading downriver? Check out Gorham.

©Dean Klinkenberg, 2018