This is just the beginning! Our collection holds over 300 years of history, including rare newspapers, obituaries, marriage records, birth records, and so much more—most of which you won’t find anywhere else!
Penitentiary Inspections Highlight Chester Tour
A visiting committee of state House and Senate members toured Chester facilities including the Southern Illinois Penitentiary, Asylum for Insane Criminals, and other reforms. They noted aging buildings, no fire protection, and urged funds for dining rooms and safety upgrades while praising warden J. B. Smith and physician Walter Sanger.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
J. B. Smith
Colonel Smith
Southern Penitentiary
Chester
Walter EB. Sanger
Senate
House
Chester—Southern
Geneva
St. Charles
Joliet
Pontiac—State Reformatory
Billings
Menard
Southern Illinois Penitentiary
Champaign
Vermilion
Douglas, Adams
Schuyler
Sanger
Randolph County
Iron Mountain and Southern Railway
East St. Louis
Hiks
Chicago & Eastern, Illinois
Chicago