Elzie C. Segar was one of the most impressive and influential cartoonists of all time. As the creator of Popeye, he created one of the most iconic characters of pop culture in the 1930s. The son of a handyman, Segar felt inspired to be a cartoonist from the age of 18. He worked his way through cartooning classes and published his first comic, Charlie Chaplin’s Comic Capers, when he was only 21. He continued to make strides in cartoons, being the first cartoonist to merge the adventure and comedy cartoon styles. Unfortunately, he died at the young age of forty-three after a long illness.
Elzie C. Segar was born in Chester, Illinois, something that residents of the town are very proud of. After all, it is commonly accepted that he based many of the characters off of people that he knew from his hometown. There are many monuments to Popeye in Chester, including a character statue trail and murals; but perhaps the best memorialization is at Elzie C. Segar Memorial Park where a six-foot-tall bronze statue of Popeye stands tall and visitors can almost hear him say, “I yam what I yam.”
Chester Welcome Center, Bridge Bypass Road, Chester, IL, USA
Distance: 0.00 mi (straight line)
Chester Welcome Center, Bridge Bypass Road, Chester, IL, USA
Distance: 0.00 mi (straight line)
Frederick Weistar House Historic Site, Chestnut Street, Chester, IL, USA
Distance: 0.28 mi (straight line)
Randolph County IL Courthouse, West Taylor Street, Chester, Illinois, USA
Distance: 0.32 mi (straight line)
St. Nicholas Landmark, Ferry Street, Chester, IL, USA
Distance: 0.41 mi (straight line)
Cohen Memorial Home, Harrison Street, Chester, IL, USA
Distance: 0.60 mi (straight line)
822 Swanwick St, Chester, IL 62233, USA
Distance: 0.65 mi (straight line)
Spinach Can Collectibles, State Street, Chester, IL, USA
Distance: 0.76 mi (straight line)
217 Opdyke Street, Chester, IL, USA
Distance: 0.80 mi (straight line)
174 MO-51, Perryville, MO 63775, USA
Distance: 0.80 mi (straight line)
Kaskaskia Bell State Historic Site (Liberty Bell of the West), 1st Street, Chester, IL, USA
Distance: 4.55 mi (straight line)
203 1st St, Chester, IL 62233
Distance: 4.58 mi (straight line)
Mary's River Covered Bridge, Chester, IL, USA
Distance: 4.78 mi (straight line)
Turkey Bluffs State Fish and Wildlife Area, South Lake Drive, Chester, IL, USA
Distance: 4.92 mi (straight line)
Pierre Menard Home State Historic Site, Kaskaskia Street, Ellis Grove, IL, USA
Distance: 5.56 mi (straight line)
4372 Park Rd, Ellis Grove, IL 62241, USA
Distance: 6.00 mi (straight line)
Our bi-weekly newsletter provides news, history, and information for those interested in traveling along along the Lewis & Clark Trail.
