C-U Klan: Imperial Wizard Comes to Town

From Helen Reynolds' Wedding Book (Champaign County Historical Archives)

The two-day Klan event dedicating the new headquarters of the local Klan announced that the then Imperial Wizard, or national leader, Hiram Evans was going to be in attendance as well as the Klan's State leader, or "Grand Dragon," Charles G. Palmer. Regional leaders or "Great Titans" and County level leaders, "Exalted Cyclops" ("E.C.s" in the ad) from all over were also to be in attendance.  From the 11/15/1923 Urbana Daily Courier:

The Imperial Wizard and Illinois Grand Dragon arrived just a couple hours before the official events and stayed at the Urbana-Lincoln hotel. These Klan leaders would be some of the earliest guests of the hotel. The Urbana-Lincoln hotel had just been built that year and had only recently become open for guests, though it had not yet been dedicated. Their activities on that first day were described in the local paper. From the 11/23/1923 Courier:

And the evening activities from the 11/24/1923 Courier:

The Klan's "Fiery Cross" newspaper out of Indianapolis would brag about the event, the cooperation between the Klan and local law enforcement, and of course its own grandness in the face of skeptics. From the 11/30/1923 Fiery Cross: 

The Fiery Cross would refer to the Urbana headquarters as proof of the Klan's prosperity when critics sometimes suggested the Klan was waning. Excerpt from such an article in the 11/23/1923 Fiery Cross bragging about its expansion in Illinois:

The Klan wedding itself got a great deal of local press (mentioned on the Exalted Cyclops page earlier). The Bride added the clips into her wedding album as well as coverage from a Washington D.C. paper (click to enlarge):

The Fellowship Forum coverage from Washington D.C. included the Reynolds' family photo in Klan regalia, including their new son-in-law, Harry Lee, on the far left. This clearer copy of the picture is from the Champaign County Historical Archives with names (notice the continued confusion on J. J. Reynolds' name):

The description of the wedding from the wedding book (click thumbnail to see the original):

The ceremony was performed in the new home of Zenith Klan No. 56 Realm of Illinois KKK. The Klavern was arranged with three monster K's in rear, a large cross on either side, lighted, and the altar duly prepared in center and a semi-circle of Klansman and Klanswomen in full regalia as a background for the wedding. The contracting parties, in full regalia, stood in front of the altar, facing the east. The curtain raised at 8:25 and Rev. McMahon offered a beautiful opening prayer, then joined the ranks of Klansmen two paces to rear of Groom; O.K. Doney then bound Helen (Reynolds) and Harry (Lee) together by a beautiful Klan ceremony prayer. Prayer: McMahon. Bride & Groom introduced to Klansmen & Klanswomen, & received sign of greeting; introduced to throng of 1500 - hearty cheer of greeting...

Context: National, State, and Scandalous.

The context of this visit goes far beyond merely being some of the first guests at one C-U's more notable hotels, although I'm including a couple newspaper snips on that from the 9/18 and 10/31/1923 Courier:

The general editorial context, covered in a previous post, had changed some since the earlier days of the second Klan and prior to the headlines of 1923. The complaints were still not so much about the idea of white supremacy, which appeared to be as normalized as ever, but of the secrecy, loyalties, and the lack of the Klan's promised "law and order."

At around the same time as the two day convention with Imperial Wizard Evans in Urbana, the national Klan organization, and Imperial Wizard himself, had just been embroiled in scandals. These involved the organization's finances and even the murder during a competition for leadership of the organization. From the Courier on 10/31/1923 and 11/6/1923:

Around this time there were also regular headlines of Oklahoma's impeachment trial that pitted an embattled governor against Klan backed legislators, and endless accusations of who was pulling the strings to oust him. The Imperial Wizard had attended an event a few months prior that made the news when it was attacked. From the wire news coverage in the Courier 8/27/1923:

The 1923 off year election news out of Ohio provided an early glimpse into how the second Klan might affect the 1924 election cycle. Klan politics in 1924 would challenge party identity, benefit many Republicans in the North and divide the Democratic Party's convention. Ohio's city elections would be the barest hint of that future. From the 11/7/1923 Courier:

At the Illinois State level, there had been numerous headlines about Klansmen in the government, the Klan using the State Fairgrounds for a ceremony, and considering laws to limit masking. NPR Illinois had a brief overview of that history here. One of the articles it cites from the 1/20/1923 Chicago Tribune:

Afterward: The End of 1923

December 1923 brought with it a new tradition of the massive Klan Christmas celebration with the kids. From the 12/24/1923 Courier:

The Klan would continue to have large Christmas events for local children for years. The article doesn't spoil the secret on who played the role of Santa, but the portly "Exalted Cyclops" J. J. Reynolds would carry on the tradition long after the Klan. He would be remembered fondly in his funeral coverage as "Urbana's Santa."

In correspondence with the Champaign County Genealogical Society, Reynolds' daughter Mary described her father as:

...a merchant in Urbana - a Justice of the Peace - also Santa Clause for the whole town. The kids all knew who he was and often waited outside the office while he attended business inside.

The local Klan's year would end on a more scandalous note as they disowned and turned in one of their own members, and local business owner, for his ongoing liaisons with a Black prostitute. From the 12/28/1923 Courier and News-Gazette (lacking many of the details):

Mrs. Martin would eventually get her divorce. Klan minister O. K. Doney reiterated that the Klan would not defend their member's actions shortly after the New Year. From the 1/7/1924 Courier:

The next C-U Klan post covers the zenith of the Zenith Klan and the second Klan movement generally in 1924. It looks at the local Klan activities through 1924 in the context of the Klan infested election season.