The story
Read it all →How Chester Township came to be
From Wikipedia’s history of Chester Township.
Chester was laid out in 1905, and named after Chester Township.
Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
–Not graded
History · Chester Township
Chester Township dates to 1905, and 66% of its homes were built before 1940
Below: maps from 1979 on.
1905founded
0on the National Register
66%homes built before 1940
Quick answers
How Chester Township began
When was Chester Township founded?
1905
Chester Township dates its founding to 1905 (Wikipedia’s history).
2020 census: 79121 years
Founding year: Wikipedia.The full story ↓
What stands out about Chester Township’s past
Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.
★ What stands out · Help out
Start Chester Township’s collection
The first neighbors to add old photos shape how Chester Township’s history is told.
Decades since 1900 with photos
00s10s20s30s40s50s60s70s80s90s
0 of 10 decades. The empty ones are waiting for someone’s album.By decade
No old photos in the archives yet
Weddings on Main Street, storms, parades, school pictures, the old store. If it’s in your family album, it belongs here.
Be the first to add onePhotograph a print flat, in daylight, no flash.
Add from your albumOn the map
Chester Township on the map, 1979 to 1986
Every edition of the U.S. Geological Survey’s map of Chester Township. Tap a year, or press play to watch the town change.
1979Armour SW sheet · 1:24,000U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (public domain), via Esri’s collection of the scans. The red ring marks the center of Chester Township.
Places that used to be
Places now gone
Gone or out of use
Chandler SchoolschoolLyman Schoolschool
Places and cemeteries from the USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021).
Stories next door
History across the town line
Each neighbor’s History grade, on the same three inputs.
Howard TownshipIts storynot graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its townIowa TownshipIts storynot graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its townIndependence TownshipIts storynot graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its townMoore TownshipIts storynot graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its townArmour2 historic placesnot graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its townGrandview TownshipIts storynot graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town
Questions about Chester Township’s history
What year was Chester Township founded?
In 1905, according to Wikipedia’s history of the town.
Memory lane
What the archives can’t tell you, neighbors can.
Start a conversation
Sources
Where this page comes from
Founding dates: Wikidata, Wikipedia, the U.S. post office records of Blevins & Helbock (CC0) and the Census. Homes by year built: Census ACS 2020–24. National Register of Historic Places: National Park Service (list of May 22, 2026). Old photos, postcards and papers: Wikimedia Commons, the Library of Congress and other public archives, credited on each item’s page. Maps: U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (via Esri) and Sanborn fire-insurance maps (Library of Congress). History text and census tables: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0). Places that used to be: USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021). How TownRatings grades history →
From Wikipedia, U.S. Geological Survey historical maps and the USGS Geographic Names Information System. Archive images are copied here with their credits and licenses, shown on each photo’s page. Refreshed monthly.