The above War Memorial was erected in 1915 and was paid for
with contributions from Rock Island school children.
Entrance
National Register of Historic Places
The "Calder Cross" is made of marble and is approximately eight feet tall. It was commissioned in 1905 by Dr. Richard H. Harte to honor his father, William Hickman Harte, a naval officer who died fighting in the civil war.
Settlers in Chippiannock
Many early settlers of Rock Island are buried in Chippiannock Cemetery. The cemetery holds an annual walk through the cemetery highlighting the graves of some of these prominent people. It's a wonderful way to learn the history of these people and to learn about early Rock Island.
Ben Harper (1817-1887): Mr. Harper arrived in Rock Island in 1850 with $75,000.
Philander Cable (1817-1866): Mr. Cable came to Rock Island with Philemon Mitchell in 1856. He brought $80,000 which he invested in banks, coal and railroads.
William Tenges (1855-1904): Mr. Tenges made wagons in Milan in 1877.
Captain Andrew J. Whitney (1828-1913): Capt. Whitney was a riverboat driver. An anchor on his grave once saved his boat from being torn apart in a bad storm by holding fast to a crevice in the river bottom. The stretch of river between Hampton, Illinois and Muscatine, Iowa where the Mississippi runs west, rather than south, was imfamous for its terrible rapids. River boat captains from the area were hired to guide boats through these rapids before 1907.It's possible Capt. Whitney may have been one of those captains.
Mayor Harry Schriver (1872-1959): Mr. Schriver served two terms as mayor of Rock Island, 1911-1915 and again from 1919-1923. He is most known for his run ins with the gangster, John Looney.
Julia Spencer Robinson (1838-1911): Daughter of Judge John W. Spencer, who presided over the trial of the three men who were hanged for the murder of Col. George Davenport on Arsenal Island
Col. John Buford (1779-1847): The Colonel came to Illinois in 1836 and served 4 years as a state senator. He was also important in the development of the railroad. Napolean Bonepart and John are also buried here.
Eddie and Josie Dimmick (1873-1878 and 1870-1878): These children died the same day of diptheria. For two years their dog visited the grave every day. Their father commissioned a life-size stone image of the Newfoundland dog that lies at the gravesite where the dog once did. This is one of the most visited grave in the cemetery.
Henry Burris (1855-1916): The first minority letter carrier with the Rock Island Postal Service.
Susan Lewis Goldsmith (1801-1878): Goldsmith came to Rock Island in 1816 with her mother, Margaret, wife of Col. George Davenport.
Benjamin Dann Walsh (1808-1869): Mr. Walsh was Illinois' first entomologist.
Minnie Potter (1865-1936): Ms. Potter was president and CEO of the Argus after her husband John died, this newspaper stayed in the family until sold in the 1990s. It is now published in conjunction with the Daily Dispatch.
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Illinois Ancestors