Leah Rogers, a long-time member of Mount Vernon Historic Preservation Commission, has passed away. In early August, Rogers announced a need to step down from the commission due to health issues.
Tallgrass Consulting will continue to operate following Rogers’ passing.
“Mount Vernon Historic Preservation Commission is sorry to announce the passing of Leah Rogers,” The commission wrote in a Facebook post Sunday, Sept. 11.
Leah received a bachelor’s degree in anthropology from the University of Missouri and a master’s degree in anthropology from Michigan State University.
Leah and her husband, Clark Rogers, worked on archaeology projects in six states and all over the state of Iowa.
The Rogers moved to Mount Vernon in 1992, and Leah began service on the MVHPC shortly after that. In her work with her firm, Tallgrass Archaeology, and in previous assignments Leah completed over 70 nominations of various properties and sites to the National Register of Historic Places. She served as chair of the association of Iowa Archaeologists.
Earlier this year, Rogers was honored by the State Historical Society with a lifetime achievement award for her work in preservation.
“Leah Rogers is an expert archaeologist, first of all, but she has worked in the field of historic preservation for decades,” said Mary Bennett, special collections coordinator of the State Historical Society of Iowa, in a video on Rogers’ nomination. “The work Leah and her colleagues create is brand new evidence about Iowa history. It goes into communities and uncovers stories that have been hidden away or been hidden in the ground. She’s bringing new stories to our view and she’s changing how we’re going to administer policies.”
She also received the Iowa Archeological Society’s Keyes Orr award. From her nomination there:
“Those who have reviewed her research or worked with her, either as community collaborators or professional colleagues, know that her conduct and work products rise to the highest standards of professionalism. Not only has her work informed the practice of historic preservation at the local and state levels, but she also has written or cowritten many published pieces designed to reach a wider public audience. Additionally, she has devoted considerable time to professional service activities. By these means, Leah has influenced Iowans’ awareness of and increasing appreciation for the cultural material associated with our historic and prehistoric past.”
After she earned her master’s degree in anthropology and historical archaeology in 1985, she worked with archaeology firms in Carbondale, Ill., and Decorah, before striking out on her own as a consultant, conducting archaeological and historic architectural investigations for federal, state and local governmental organizations as well as private clients. She joined Tallgrass Archaeology LLC of Iowa City in 2001 and has served as its principal investigator since 2016.
In addition to her scholarly research, Leah inspired Iowans of all ages to learn more about their local history and archaeology. She taught workshops, developed youth summer camps and led community-based archaeological surveys across Iowa, notably the Wickiup Hill Learning Center north of Cedar Rapids and the Abbe Creek School near Mount Vernon, where she served on the local historic preservation commission.