Chester is an unincorporated community in central Sanpete County, Utah, United States.[1]
Description
The community is located in the Sanpete Valley, 4 miles (6.4 km) west of Spring City at the junction of Utah State Route 132 (formerly SR-11 and U.S. Route 189) and Utah State Route 117.[2] The population was 178 at the 2000 census.[3]
Chester Ponds (a series of six small reservoirs)[4] are located along the Canal[5] and Oak[6] creeks in the northeastern part of the community.[7]
| Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1880 | 188 | — | |
| 1890 | 259 | 37.8% | |
| 1900 | 270 | 4.2% | |
| 1910 | 279 | 3.3% | |
| 1920 | 256 | −8.2% | |
| 1930 | 171 | −33.2% | |
| 1940 | 192 | 12.3% | |
| 1950 | 153 | −20.3% | |
| 2000 | 178 | — | |
| Source: U.S. Census Bureau[3] | |||
History
Chester was founded by David Candland. In the beginning the town was named Canal Creek after the waterway[5] from which the community received its water. Candland then changed the name to Chesterfield after his hometown in England; it was later reduced to Chester.[8] Chester had its own post office until 1967.[9]
In August 1885, the San Pete Valley Railway completed its tracks as far south as Chester and began regular service to Nephi (via Moroni and Fountain Green); however, passenger service was not offered until after the "Station House" was completed.[10] The railway ran north–south through the western part of the community, at about 3300 East. The railway was acquired by Union Pacific Railroad in 1890 and extended farther south to Manti by 1984. The railway was taken over by the Denver & Rio Grande Railroad (D&RG) in 1908 and became known as the D&RG San Pete Valley Branch. The branch was later abandoned by the D&RG (by then known as the Denver and Rio Grande Western Railroad) in 1947,[10] leaving the Marysvale Branch, through Spring City, as the nearest rail service.
See also
References
- ^ a b c "Chester". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey, United States Department of the Interior.
- ^ "MyTopo Maps - Chester, UT, USA" (Map). mytopo.com. Trimble Navigation, Ltd. Retrieved March 18, 2018.
- ^ a b "Census of Population and Housing". census.gov. United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on February 8, 2006. Retrieved November 4, 2011.
- ^ "Chester Ponds". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey, United States Department of the Interior.
- ^ a b "Canal Creek". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey, United States Department of the Interior.
- ^ "Oak Creek". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey, United States Department of the Interior.
- ^ "MyTopo Maps - Chester Ponds, Utah, USA" (Map). mytopo.com. Trimble Navigation, Ltd. Retrieved March 18, 2018.
- ^ Van Cott, John W. (1990). Utah Place Names: A Comprehensive Guide to the Origins of Geographic Names: A Compilation. Salt Lake City: University of Utah Press. p. 77. ISBN 978-0-87480-345-7. OCLC 797284427. Retrieved March 18, 2018.
- ^ "Post Offices: Utah: Sanpete County". postalhistory.com. Las Vegas, Nevada: Jim Forte. Retrieved March 18, 2018.
- ^ a b "San Pete Valley Railway (1874-1908)". utahrails.net. Don Strack. March 24, 2015. Retrieved March 18, 2018.
External links
Media related to Chester, Utah at Wikimedia Commons
Municipalities and communities of Sanpete County, Utah, United States | ||
|---|---|---|
| Cities |  | |
| Towns | ||
| Unincorporated communities | ||
| Ghost towns | ||