Politics & Government
Group Works to Tell Chesterfield's History
The Historical Commission is currently selling its new book that delves into the history of Chesterfield, from the time of Native Americans to modern day.
The Chesterfield Historical Commission, in its 22nd year, works to educate the community on the historical significance of the city and the land it rests on today.
“We promote the history of Chesterfield and the history of the area and history of landmarks,” said commission member Arland Stemme, who has a member of the group since 1988. The commission meets on a monthly basis.
The group recently published a book titled, Chesterfield, Missouri From Untamed Wilderness to Thriving Municipality. It was written by commission members Anne Chrissos, Jane Durrell, Dan Rothwell, Joan Schact and Stemme. It costs $25 and is on sale at the and at .
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“It took us five years to write it,” Stemme said. “In the beginning, when we formed, we said we were going to write a historical book on Chesterfield.”
Stemme said book sales have been going well in the first few months. “We just started selling it on the 21st of May,” she said. “We’ve done pretty good for the first month, but we’re working on it.”
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This book is the fifth one the commission has put together about the city. Other titles include:
- A Guide to Chesterfield’s Ancient History by Mark Leach, which is free
- A Guide to Chesterfield’s Architectural Treasures by Dan Rothwell, which costs $20
- A book about town cemeteries by Marcella Stranz Mertz, which costs $15
- a coloring book titled Historical Chesterfield, which costs $5
All books are sold at the Chesterfield Chamber of Commerce and City Hall, Stemme said.
The commission also sells its annual calendar, composed with pictures of people and places in Chesterfield. The 2011 calendar was its 21st edition.
“We’ve interviewed people in the past and gathered photos,” Stemme said. Revenue from calendar sales is used to print the commisson's books.
Stemme said in the past the commission has placed signs around the city to point out where towns in the area were located before Chesterfield was established.
“We tried to place some signs around in Chesterfield indicating the old towns that are in Chesterfield,” she said. The commission might do this again someday, she said.
The commission also has held historical tours of Chesterfield in the past, but does not have any community events on deck at the moment.
“We hope to plan some in the future,” Stemme said. “We’ve had city tours and things like that. We don’t have anything now on our agenda.”