Chester, Mississippi

Chester, Mississippi is a small community in central Choctaw County, Mississippi about 9 miles northwest of Ackerman. Once a thriving railroad town, Chester is now all but uninhabited. The Red Hills Mine (a reclaimed open-pit lignite mine) opened nearby in 1998, with the first excavation in 1999.

Coal from the mine feeds the Red Hills Power Plant, which supplies electricity to the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA).

Notable natives

Cheryl Prewitt, Miss America of 1980.