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THERE IS A PLACE WHERE VISITORS CAN GET NOT ONLY AN
VISITORS CAN GET NOT ONLY AN OVERVIEW OF THE MISSISSIPPI
OVERVIEW OF THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER, BUT OF THIS STATE'S
RIVER, BUT OF THIS STATE'S HISTORY AND COLONIAL PAST AS WE
HISTORY AND COLONIAL PAST AS WE DISCOVERED THE RANDOLPH COUNTY
DISCOVERED THE RANDOLPH COUNTY MUSEUM ANARCHISTS IN
AND ARCHIVES IN CHESTER. IT AS COUNTY WHERE ILLINOIS'
IT AS COUNTY WHERE ILLINOIS' HISTORY BEGAN, A PLACE FRIENDS
HISTORY BEGAN, A PLACE FRIENDS FRANCE ONCE CALLED ITS OWN AND
FRANCE ONCE CALLED ITS OWN AND WHOSE LANDS WERE CALLED BY THE
WHOSE LANDS WERE CALLED BY THE STATE OF VIRGINIA.
STATE OF VIRGINIA. TODAY, SEVERAL FLAGS FLY NEXT TO
TODAY, SEVERAL FLAGS FLY NEXT TO THE NEW COUNTY COURTHOUSE
THE NEW COUNTY COURTHOUSE REPRESENTING THOSE WHO ONCE LAID
REPRESENTING THOSE WHO ONCE LAID CLAIM TO THIS REGION.
CLAIM TO THIS REGION. IT IS A REGION WHOSE HISTORY IS
IT IS A REGION WHOSE HISTORY IS RETOLD IN THIS BUILD WHICH WAS
RETOLD IN THIS BUILD WHICH WAS WITH ONCE AN ANNEX TO THE
WITH ONCE AN ANNEX TO THE ORIGINAL COURTHOUSE.
ORIGINAL COURTHOUSE. >> THE MUSEUM HAS ARTIFACTS AND
>> THE MUSEUM HAS ARTIFACTS AND PICTURES WHICH COVER OVER 300
PICTURES WHICH COVER OVER 300 YEARS.
YEARS. SINCE THIS WAS THE BIGGEST
SINCE THIS WAS THE BIGGEST SETTLEMENT OF THE ILLINOIS AREA
SETTLEMENT OF THE ILLINOIS AREA OF THE FRENCH AREA IN ILLINOIS,
OF THE FRENCH AREA IN ILLINOIS, IT ALWAYS HELD THE COURT
IT ALWAYS HELD THE COURT RECORDS.
RECORDS. SO WE HAVE THOUSANDS OF
SO WE HAVE THOUSANDS OF DOCUMENTS FROM THE 1700'S WHICH
DOCUMENTS FROM THE 1700'S WHICH ARE KNOWN AS THE KASKASKIA
ARE KNOWN AS THE KASKASKIA MANUSCRIPT.
MANUSCRIPT. WE HAVE SOME RECORDS WHEN IT WAS
WE HAVE SOME RECORDS WHEN IT WAS PART OF THE INDIANA TERRITORY
PART OF THE INDIANA TERRITORY FROM 1800 TO 1809.
FROM 1800 TO 1809. SOME OF THOSE ARE HERE ALSO.
SOME OF THOSE ARE HERE ALSO. WE HAVE THE COURT RECORDS FROM
WE HAVE THE COURT RECORDS FROM 1809, AND THIS WOULD BE YOUR
1809, AND THIS WOULD BE YOUR COURT CASES, EVERY DAY THING,
COURT CASES, EVERY DAY THING, ESTATES TO BE SETTLED, MORTGAGES
ESTATES TO BE SETTLED, MORTGAGES THAT ARE NEEDED TO BE PAID OR
THAT ARE NEEDED TO BE PAID OR WERE FORFEITED OR ANY OF THE
WERE FORFEITED OR ANY OF THE USUAL THINGS TO WHICH AND, OF
USUAL THINGS TO WHICH AND, OF COURSE, IT IS ALL HANDWRITTEN.
COURSE, IT IS ALL HANDWRITTEN. >> IN THESE RECORDS ARE RECORDED
>> IN THESE RECORDS ARE RECORDED SOME OF THE ACTIONS OF ILLINOIS'
SOME OF THE ACTIONS OF ILLINOIS' FUTURE LEADERS, SUCH AS PIERRE
FUTURE LEADERS, SUCH AS PIERRE MENARD WHO LATER BECAME THE
MENARD WHO LATER BECAME THE STATE'S FIRST LIEUTENANT
STATE'S FIRST LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR.
GOVERNOR. >>HE PAID A DOLLAR FOR A LICENSE
>>HE PAID A DOLLAR FOR A LICENSE PERMIT TO RUN HIS FERRY IN 1809.
PERMIT TO RUN HIS FERRY IN 1809. THAT IS WOULD BE CONSIDERED A
THAT IS WOULD BE CONSIDERED A HUGE DEBT NOW.
HUGE DEBT NOW. IT IS THE LAND FROM KASKASKIA,
IT IS THE LAND FROM KASKASKIA, AND AFTER GEORGE ROGERS CLARK
AND AFTER GEORGE ROGERS CLARK CAPTURED KASKASKIA, AND IT WAS
CAPTURED KASKASKIA, AND IT WAS THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION, AND
THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION, AND PEOPLE STARTED COMING IN AND
PEOPLE STARTED COMING IN AND STAKING OUT CLAIMS ON LAND, THIS
STAKING OUT CLAIMS ON LAND, THIS WAS THE LAND DEBT THAT WAS USED
WAS THE LAND DEBT THAT WAS USED TO RECORD THOSE.
TO RECORD THOSE. >> FOR A SHORT TIME, KASKASKIA
>> FOR A SHORT TIME, KASKASKIA WAS THE CAPITAL OF THIS NEWLY
WAS THE CAPITAL OF THIS NEWLY FORMED STATE OF ILLINOIS.
FORMED STATE OF ILLINOIS. FROM THAT ERA, IS THIS LOCK AND
FROM THAT ERA, IS THIS LOCK AND KEY FROM THE HOME OF SHADRACK
KEY FROM THE HOME OF SHADRACK BOND, ILLINOIS' FIRST GOVERNOR.
BOND, ILLINOIS' FIRST GOVERNOR. THERE ARE OTHER ITEMS ON DISPLAY
THERE ARE OTHER ITEMS ON DISPLAY REMINDING VISITORS OF THE RICH
REMINDING VISITORS OF THE RICH AND BURIED HISTORY OF THIS
AND BURIED HISTORY OF THIS REGION.
REGION. >> ONE OF THE LARGER ITEMS WE
>> ONE OF THE LARGER ITEMS WE HAVE IN THE MUSEUM IS THE WINE
HAVE IN THE MUSEUM IS THE WINE PRESS, AND THIS CAME FROM THE
PRESS, AND THIS CAME FROM THE WINE HILL COMMUNITY FROM THAT
WINE HILL COMMUNITY FROM THAT TOWNSHIP WHEN THE GERMANS
TOWNSHIP WHEN THE GERMANS STARTED IMMIGRATING INTO THE
STARTED IMMIGRATING INTO THE AREA.
AREA. THEY FOUND THAT THE SOUTHEASTERN
THEY FOUND THAT THE SOUTHEASTERN PART OF RANDOLPH COUNTY HAD
PART OF RANDOLPH COUNTY HAD HILLS AND SOIL WHICH WERE VERY
HILLS AND SOIL WHICH WERE VERY MUCH LIKE WHAT THEY HAD LEFT IN
MUCH LIKE WHAT THEY HAD LEFT IN EUROPE AND CONDUCIVE FOR THE
EUROPE AND CONDUCIVE FOR THE WINE.
WINE. WE HAD THE MEDICINE CHEST THAT
WE HAD THE MEDICINE CHEST THAT WAS IN THE OFFICE OF A
WAS IN THE OFFICE OF A DR. FRITCHE, AND IT HAS THE
DR. FRITCHE, AND IT HAS THE CIRCULAR SHELVES IN IT.
CIRCULAR SHELVES IN IT. OF COURSE, AT THAT TIME WHEN YOU
OF COURSE, AT THAT TIME WHEN YOU WENT TO THE DOCTOR, YOU DIDN'T
WENT TO THE DOCTOR, YOU DIDN'T NEED ANOTHER TRIP TO THE
NEED ANOTHER TRIP TO THE PHARMACY.
PHARMACY. YOU WERE ABLE TO GET YOUR
YOU WERE ABLE TO GET YOUR MEDICINE, WHATEVER YOU NEEDED.
MEDICINE, WHATEVER YOU NEEDED. SO WE HAD TO HAVE SHELVES TO
SO WE HAD TO HAVE SHELVES TO HOLD ALL THOSE LITTLE BOTTLES OF
HOLD ALL THOSE LITTLE BOTTLES OF PILLS AND WHATEVER HE ADDED TO
PILLS AND WHATEVER HE ADDED TO THEM.
THEM. >> ALSO ON DISPLAY IS THIS
>> ALSO ON DISPLAY IS THIS ELECTRIC CHAIR FROM THE MENARD
ELECTRIC CHAIR FROM THE MENARD STATE PENITENTIARY LAST USED IN
STATE PENITENTIARY LAST USED IN 1938 FOR THE EXECUTION OF A
1938 FOR THE EXECUTION OF A FEMALE AND HER A COME AND HER
FEMALE AND HER A COME AND HER ACCOMPLICE.
ACCOMPLICE. SHE DECIDE ON HER BROTHER'S
SHE DECIDE ON HER BROTHER'S WEDDING DAY, IF HE MARRIED, SHE
WEDDING DAY, IF HE MARRIED, SHE WOULD NOT RETRIEVE HIS $5,000
WOULD NOT RETRIEVE HIS $5,000 INSURANCE.
INSURANCE. HIS WIFE WOULD SURELY GET T SHE
HIS WIFE WOULD SURELY GET T SHE CONSPIRED WITH TWO YOUNG MEN WHO
CONSPIRED WITH TWO YOUNG MEN WHO WERE EVIDENTLY UNDER HER
WERE EVIDENTLY UNDER HER INFLUENCE AND KILLED HIM.
INFLUENCE AND KILLED HIM. WHEN PEOPLE COME HERE, THEY CAN
WHEN PEOPLE COME HERE, THEY CAN QUICKLY GO THROUGH ABOUT 300
QUICKLY GO THROUGH ABOUT 300 YEARS OF ILLINOIS HISTORY WHERE
YEARS OF ILLINOIS HISTORY WHERE ILLINOIS ACTUALLY BEGAN WITH THE
ILLINOIS ACTUALLY BEGAN WITH THE TOP FLOOR OF THE COURTHOUSE, THE
TOP FLOOR OF THE COURTHOUSE, THE NEW COURTHOUSE IS A ROTUNDA WITH
NEW COURTHOUSE IS A ROTUNDA WITH GLASS ALL AROUND, AND GIVES JUST
GLASS ALL AROUND, AND GIVES JUST A WONDERFUL VIEW KASKASKIA,
A WONDERFUL VIEW KASKASKIA, MISSOURI, OF THE CITY OF
MISSOURI, OF THE CITY OF CHESTER.
CHESTER. IT IS A COMPLETE 360-DEGREE
IT IS A COMPLETE 360-DEGREE CIRCLE.
CIRCLE. IT IS A MAGNIFICENT VIEW.
IT IS A MAGNIFICENT VIEW. CHESTER IS ALSO FAMOUS AS A HOME
CHESTER IS ALSO FAMOUS AS A HOME TOWN OF ELZIE SEGAR, THE CREATOR
TOWN OF ELZIE SEGAR, THE CREATOR OF THE "POP EYE" COMIC STRIP.
OF THE "POP EYE" COMIC STRIP. IT IS IMPORTANT HE BASED A
IT IS IMPORTANT HE BASED A NUMBER OF HIS CAKERS ON LOCAL
NUMBER OF HIS CAKERS ON LOCAL TOWNS FOLK.
TOWNS FOLK. THERE IS A MUSEUM IN TOWN
THERE IS A MUSEUM IN TOWN DEDICATED TO HIM AND HIS
DEDICATED TO HIM AND HIS CREATION.