Chester, Mississippi facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Chester, Mississippi
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 Chester, Mississippi
Location in Mississippi
Chester, Mississippi
Location in the United States
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| Country | United States |
| State | Mississippi |
| County | Choctaw |
| Elevation | 531 ft (162 m) |
| Time zone | UTC-6 (Central (CST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-5 (CDT) |
| Area code(s) | 662 |
| GNIS feature ID | 692883 |
Chester is a small place in Choctaw County, Mississippi, in the United States. It's called an unincorporated community. This means it's not an official town or city with its own local government. It's about nine miles northwest of Ackerman.
Contents
The Story of Chester: A Mississippi Community
How Chester Began and Became Important
Chester got its name from a place called Chester, South Carolina. In 1874, Chester became the county seat for Choctaw County. A county seat is the main town where the county government is located. It's usually where the courthouse is.
From 1874 until 1887, Chester was the only county seat. During this time, Chester was a busy and successful town. Many businesses, lawyers, and doctors were located around the town square.
The Railroad Changes Everything
Things started to change for Chester in 1883. A new railroad, called the Canton, Aberdeen, and Nashville Railroad, was finished. This railroad ran through Choctaw County, but it was several miles south of Chester.
Many people in Chester decided to move closer to the new railroad. This was because the railroad made it easier to travel and transport goods.
Sharing the County Seat Role
In 1887, a second county courthouse was built in Ackerman. Ackerman was located right on the new railroad line. After this, Chester became the seat for the First Judicial District of Choctaw County. Ackerman became the seat for the Second Judicial District. This meant they shared the county government duties.
However, Chester continued to become smaller. On August 23, 1922, the people of Choctaw County voted to combine the two judicial districts. The vote was 1,307 to 232. This vote ended Chester's role as a county seat.
Chester Today
After losing its county seat status, the old courthouse in Chester was used as a school. Sadly, it burned down in 1928. Today, Chester is a small, unincorporated community. There are not many residents or businesses near the old town square. However, there is still an active church called Chester Baptist Church in the area.
A post office served the community under the name Chester from 1876 to 1959.
The Red Hills Mine and Power Plant
Near Chester, there is a place called the Red Hills Mine. This is an open-pit mine where they dig for lignite. Lignite is a type of soft coal. The mine opened in 1998, and they started digging in 1999. The coal from this mine is used to power the Red Hills Power Plant. This power plant creates electricity for the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA).
