CHESTER a thriving post-village, capital of Randolph county, Illinois, on the Mississippi river, about 1 mile below the entrance of the Kaskaskia, and 149 miles from Springfield. It has considerable business, as the surplus produce of the county is mostly shipped at this place. A weekly newspaper is published here. Population in 1863, estimated at 1600. (Baldwin's New and Complete Gazetteer of the United States..., 1854)
CHESTER, A thriving post village, capital of Randolph county, on the Mississippi river, about one mile below the entrance of the Kaskaskia, and 149 miles south from Springfield. It is a place of considerable business; the surplus produce of the county is mostly shipped at his place. Population, estimated at about 1,700. Alex. Dunn, Postmaster. (Hawes' Illinois State Gazetteer..., 1859)