Skip to Main Content

Statue of Castor Oyl and Bernice the Whiffle Hen.

Statue of Castor Oyl and Bernice the Whiffle Hen

Field review by the editors.

Chester, Illinois

This granite monument, one of 16 separate statues that the city of Chester is erecting around its downtown, is part of a decades-long plan honoring the Popeye characters created by hometown cartoonist Elzie Crisler Segar.

Castor Oyl, brother of Olive Oyl, predated Popeye in the Sunday Funnies by almost a decade. It was Castor who introduced Popeye into the Thimble Theatre comic strip, only to find his own role subsequently diminished and ultimately eliminated.

The unbeatable good luck conferred by rubbing the head of Bernice the Whiffle Hen saved Popeye's life -- he had been shot multiple times -- at the end of his first appearance in Segar's comic strip. We guessed this was why the Castor and Bernice statue stands in front of Chester Memorial Hospital, as a treatment of last resort... though perhaps we were reading too much into it.

Bernice the Whiffle Hen.
Bernice the Whiffle Hen.

Statue of Castor Oyl and Bernice the Whiffle Hen

Address:
1900 State St., Chester, IL
Directions:
On the north side of town, in front of Chester Memorial Hospital, which is on the east side of Hwy 150/State St.
Save to My Sights

Nearby Offbeat Places

Statue of Stinger the Yellow JacketStatue of Stinger the Yellow Jacket, Chester, IL - < 1 mi.
Only Sherlock Holmes Statue in the USAOnly Sherlock Holmes Statue in the USA, Chester, IL - < 1 mi.
Statue of BlutoStatue of Bluto, Chester, IL - < 1 mi.
In the region:
Whispering Arch, St. Louis, MO - 54 mi.

More Quirky Attractions in Illinois

Stories, reports and tips on tourist attractions and odd sights in Illinois.

Explore Thousands of Unique Roadside Landmarks!

Strange and amusing destinations in the US and Canada are our specialty. Start here.
Use RoadsideAmerica.com's Attraction Maps to plan your next road trip.

My Sights

My Sights on Roadside America

Map and Plan Your Own Roadside Adventure ...Try My Sights

Mobile Apps

Roadside America app: iPhone, iPad Roadside America app for iPhone, iPad. On-route maps, 1,000s of photos, special research targets! ...More

Roadside Presidents app: iPhone, iPad Roadside Presidents app for iPhone, iPad. POTUS landmarks, oddities. ...More

Illinois Latest Tips and Stories

Latest Visitor Tips

Sight of the Week

Sight of the Week

JFK's World Famous Twine Ball, Highland, Wisconsin (Mar 18-24, 2024)

SotW Archive

USA and Canada Tips and Stories

More Sightings