The Pontiac (Ill.) Daily Leader has a story about Chester Henry of LeRoy, Ill., who was a Illinois state trooper in District 6 of the Pontiac area from 1957 to 1984. Henry attended this past weekend’s Illinois Route 66 Red Carpet Corridor event.
Henry was inducted into the Illinois Route 66 Hall of Fame in 1993. Driving the Mother Road was part of his job description, said his wife Nellie.
“It was his home away from home,” said Nellie Henry. “My husband knew just about every citizen in all those little towns that were from Dwight to McLean on Old Route 66. During his time of patrolling he helped out many people during his career.”
Naturally, Henry was happy to tell some stories about his days as a trooper.
Everybody who traveled the highway while Henry was on duty was subject to his scrutiny. Henry said he pulled over a lot of politicians, one famous television newscaster who was traveling from the Chicago area, and he even pulled over the driver of a famous country music star.
“When I issued a ticket to this driver it was because the guy blew a light on Old 66,” said Henry. “The country music star sent me his album thanking me for doing that.” […]
Henry said there was one time when a 2-year-old boy in a Chicago research hospital needed a special serum. The relay was supposed to take place by airplane but could not because of fog.
“It was first picked up in St. Louis and transferred by train,” Henry said. “We picked it up at the train station in Atlanta (Ill.). We drove it up to Dwight and turned it over to District Five.
“It was given to the boy in time because I distinctly remember we had snow tires on when we delivered it,” said Henry. “I remember driving so fast that the tires sounded like popcorn. We were going about 110 mph.”