Chippiannock Cemetery

Title: A 'Chip' in Time
Author: David Burke
Publisher: QuadCity Times
Date: 3/16/10

Minda Powers-Douglas had entertained the thought of writing a book about one of the Quad-Cities' legendary cemeteries -- Chippiannock in Rock Island, Riverside in Moline or Oakdale in Davenport -- for years.

But it took an act of Mother Nature to help make her decision: a powerful July 2008 storm that demolished more than 125 trees in Chippiannock.

"People came out in droves to help and give of their time because it meant something to them. ... They came out and wanted to make a difference," she recalled. "I thought this was a great example of why some cemeteries are so important to us. Not because they're repositories for the dead but because they're for the living."

The Moline native, who is the publisher of Epitaphs magazine and the operator of TheCemeteryClub.com Web site, has written "Images of America: Chippiannock Cemetery," printed by Arcadia Publishing, which specializes in printing books on local history topics.

After rejecting her ideas for a book about Victorian-era cemeteries as a whole, the publisher agreed that Chippiannock would be a good choice.

"Chippiannock is such a unique place. I haven't seen a cemetery quite like it in my travels," Powers-Douglas said. "It's got a unique essence to it."

The book makes liberal use of historical photographs, and some vintage drawings were supplied by her husband, musician/artist Bill Douglas.

Chippiannock -- a Sac and Fox American Indian tribe word that means "village of the dead" -- was established in 1855 by a group of prominent citizens including Bailey Davenport, who donated his pasture land.

"It's very traditionally a Victorian cemetery," Powers-Douglas said as she looked over the land, just off 11th Street in Rock Island. "It's got the paths, the rolling hills, the use of the natural environment."

There also are elaborate monuments to some prominent members of Quad-City history, including several plots near the cemetery's entrance that were claimed by the Harper family and include a short stone fence.

"The Harper family did not create this amazing plot and say, 'We don't want anybody to see this because cemeteries are scary," she said. "They did this because they wanted people to see how important these people were, because these people were worthy of being remembered. They were loved, they were esteemed."

Cemetery superintendent Gregory Vogele, whose family has served in that capacity since 1922, said Powers-Douglas has captured the uniqueness of Chippiannock in her book.

"There's no other place like it," he said.

Powers-Douglas, who works at Palmer College of Chiropractic in Davenport, can easily explain the meanings of cemetery and tombstone symbols.

"I don't consider myself a historian. I am a cemetery advocate, an enthusiast," she said. "I learn so much about the community, and it's extended into all the cities."

Among the names in Chippiannock, which she nicknames "Chip," are many who have become part of Quad-City legend.

"Our history is right here," she said. "We are right in the middle of the major players in the history of our area.

"That is truly very exciting."