1970 Map of Chester

About this map

Chester sits perched above a sharp bend in the Mississippi River, serving as a focal point for commerce and industry along the Missouri Pacific railroad lines. The landscape is defined by the complex relationship between the river and the land, where an extensive Levee system and Old Levee protect the low-lying Kaskaskia Island and Bois Brule bottoms from flooding. This 1970s survey captures the riverfront at a time when the Toll Bridge provided a vital link between Illinois and Missouri, and the State Penitentiary at Menard stood as a major local institution.