Collection: Fairmount Cemetery And Crematory - Davenport

While Fairmount Cemetery isn't the oldest cemetery in Davenport, Iowa, it still has a long and illustrious history. It started as the West Davenport Cemetery in 1881, and was located on the high bluffs overlooking the Mississippi River Valley west of the city. That same year, a 33-year old carpenter named John Dibbern became the first person interred there. The beautiful, peaceful scenery made it a lovely place to be buried in, and soon several others joined the young carpenter there. In 1891, the West Davenport Cemetery Association, the governing board of the cemetery, allowed a crematorium to be built on the grounds. Erected in 1891, the Crematorium at West Davenport Cemetery was only the second one built west of the Mississippi River. It is an elegant brick building, containing colorful stained-glass windows and surrounded by well-maintained grounds. A flight of stairs go up to a set of double doors, which led into a large central room that served as a chapel. Although it was consid