A partial listing of various Ku Klux Klan activities, meetings, and attendees listed in the local press in the 1920s. This is by no means a complete list of activities or even of published activities in the area. These were the easiest to find via a preliminary simple search while I was researching related topics. I'm hesitant to publish this list, only because I think its sparseness is misleading. But these times, dates, attendees, and locations could be helpful to someone looking for a starting point to research activity in their locality.
In other words, these are starting points for future research in local archives, oral histories, and documentation. The second Klan movement was only one small part of many white nationalist movements and cultural beliefs that came together during the racial Nadir in this era of American history. I also encourage people to find old textbooks and teaching materials that provide context for a lot of common neo-confederate revisionism, eugenics, and racial hygiene views inside and outside of the Klan.
Localities listed are mostly in or near Champaign County. There are some duplicate items, e.g. where a locality is listed as the location of a meeting and the location of attendees from other areas.
Jump to a Locality Links:
Champaign-Urbana: There is a separate page here for C-U (work in progress).
Newspaper Clippings: Listed by locality in alphabetical order.
Urbana Daily Courier: 7/25/1923 and 7/26/1923 - Meeting
Urbana Daily Courier: 2/16/1923 and 2/28/1923 - Meeting
Urbana Daily Courier: 7/25/1923 - Attendees: Bert Seeds and Ortha Gore.
Courier: 9/20/1923 - Attendees: Mr. and Mrs. Frank Gray.
Courier: 10/2/1923 - Attendees: Charles Swick and Floyd Seeds.
Courier: 11/7/1923 - Klan visit and gifts to public school.
Champaign News-Gazette: 8/6/1922 - Received charter for klan.
News-Gazette: 7/2/1926 - Three day meeting.
See the Separate Champaign-Urbana Page here (work in progress).
Urbana Daily Courier: 10/23/1923 - Attendees: Mr. and Mrs. Charles A. Farmer and daughters, Mr. and Mrs. Homer Keller and children. Mr. and Mrs. Floyd Farmer and son Junior, Mr. and Mrs. Harley Rollins and children. J. W. Hamm, Misses Jeanette Anderson and Audrey Logsdon, Mr. and Mrs. Charles Pruitt and daughters.
Courier: 7/15/1924 - Attendees: Mr. and Mrs. Michael Purtle (of Tomlinson) and Mr. and Mrs. T. A. Miller.
Urbana Daily Courier: 7/26/1923 - Many attendees.
Courier: 8/16/1923 - Meeting. Eleven new initiates.
Champaign News-Gazette: 8/6/1922 - Meeting Between Mahomet and Fisher.
Urbana Daily Courier: 10/3/1923, 10/9/1923 and 10/11/1923 (x2) - Meeting of about 3,000 people.
There was also some coverage in the Gibson City Courier (not the Urbana Daily Courier) on 10/11/1923 and 10/18/1923:
Urbana Daily Courier: 10/25/1923 - Attendees: Mr. and Mrs. Walter Reinhart and daughter, Mrs. L. W. Martin.
Courier: 7/15/1924 and 7/17/1924 - Meeting with an estimated 8,000 people The Gibson City Courier had some extra details on 7/24/1924 about the 70 foot cross breaking while being raised. According to their reporting the final result was a 45 foot high burning cross.
Urbana Daily Courier: 8/7/1924 - Attendees: Mr. and Mrs. E. R. Kidd, Mr. and Mrs. Walter Rice, L. C. Wade, Orville Zook, Mr. and Mrs. Andy Asher and family, Mr. and Mrs. William McCloskey and family, Mr. and Mrs. F. C. Neal and family.
Urbana Daily Courier: 10/11/1923 - Foosland orchestra at Klan meeting.
There was also some coverage in the Gibson City Courier (not the Urbana Daily Courier) on 10/11/1923:
Urbana Daily Courier 10/18/1923 - Meeting.
Courier: 10/23/1923 and 10/25/1923 - Meeting.
Gibson City Courier (not the Urbana Daily Courier): 2/21/1924 - Meeting
Gibson City Courier (not the Urbana Daily Courier): 7/3/1924 - Church visit and donation by the Klan in full regalia
Gibson City Courier (not the Urbana Daily Courier): 8/25/1924 - Meeting
Urbana Daily Courier: 7/28/1925 - Meeting.
Urbana Daily Courier: 8/10/1924 - Attendees Mr. and Mrs. Zimmerman.
Courier: 10/3/1924 - Several attendees at Klan meeting.
Courier: 10/7/1924 - Attendees Misses Sara and Emma Steward and Rev. Gart and Wife.
Courier: 4/27/1925 - A number of attendees of a Klan meeting.
Courier: 7/28/1925 - Attendees Mr. and Mrs. J. S. McDonald.
Urbana Daily Courier 7/21/1923:
Champaign News-Gazette: 7/22/1923 - March and meeting of 500-3000 people.
Courier: 9/24/1923 and 9/26/1923 - Meeting.
Courier and News-Gazette: 6/16/1924 - Meeting. Interrupted.
Courier: 6/23/1924 - Meeting.
News-Gazette: 1/19/1925 - Cross burning.
News-Gazette: 2/5/1925 - Klan funeral for J. M. Currant.
Urbana Daily Courier: 7/30/1924 - Hoopeston Klan organization newspaper plans.
Urbana Daily Courier: 9/20/1923 - Attendees include Mr. and Mrs. Harlen Barnes and children.
Courier: 9/26/1923 - Attendees include several families.
Courier: 10/17/1923 - Meeting with a large number present.
Villa Grove Daily News 2/7/1924:
Urbana Daily Courier: 10/3/1924 - Meeting.
Champaign News-Gazette 5/19/1925: Klan visit and gifts to Methodist church.
News-Gazette: 10/18/1925 - Klan visit, gifts, ceremony and social event at public school.
Champaign News-Gazette: 8/6/1922 - Klan meeting of 4,000 to 6,000 people.
Urbana Daily Courier: 8/7/1922 - Meeting at Richmond Farm.
Rantoul Weekly Press; 8/9/1922 Meeting coverage (also repeated News-Gazette coverage).
Mahomet Sucker State: 9/20/1923 - Meeting.
The 9/21/1923 St. Joseph Record coverage of the event covered the same details, but was a bit easier to read than the Sucker State's microfilm preservation:
Courier: 9/27/1923 - Attendees include many people.
Sucker State: 9/27/1923 and 10/4/1923
Courier: 9/29/1923 - Two mile long parade, meeting, initiations involving 5,000 people.
Courier: 2/11/1924 and 2/18/1924 - Open meeting at Methodist church. Harvard denies speaker's affiliation.
Courier: 5/29/1924 - Suspected Klan kidnapping of Bloom Knott.
Courier: 6/6/1924 - Suspected Klan kidnapping of Martha Agee.
News-Gazette: 8/1/1924 - Meeting Announcement.
Sucker State: 8/7/1924 - Klan meeting on the J. H. Hume farm with estimated 3,500 people.
Courier: 8/7/1924 - Meeting attendees from Fisher and St. Joseph.
Urbana Daily Courier: 8/29/1923 - Attendees.
Courier: 7/28/1924 - Meeting in the park.
Mattoon itself is a bit outside the geographic range of this research. There is, however, a post on Reverend McMahan who promoted the Klan all around Champaign County.
Champaign News-Gazette: 8/6/1922 - The Mattoon Klan was represented in one of he first major Klan meetings in Champaign County:
Mattoon also hosted another "debate" between a local Klan minister, this time Rev. McMahan, and the same Catholic opponent named Thomas Sunderland. Just as with the debate held in Rantoul, the local coverage printed and amplified the Klan position and did not cover the details or arguments of the debate itself. From the 9/4/1923 Mattoon Journal-Gazette:
Monticello is a bit outside the geographical range of this research, but some mentions in our press were found.
Champaign News-Gazette: 8/6/1922 - Monticello was represented in the first major Klan meeting in Champaign County:
Courier: 2/13/1925 - Meeting.
The Decatur Herald & Review noted that the Piatt County Klan was known as the "Mammoth Klan No. 128 Realm of Illinois" in its 6/20/1925 Monticello news:
Urbana Daily Courier: 7/21/1923 - Klan parade and attendees:
Courier: 8/19/1924 - Meeting.
Courier: 2/26/1925 - Klan visit, gifts and cooperation pledge at the church.
Courier: 3/13/1925 - Likely pro-Klan speaker gives evening address at high school (needs further research).
Courier: 5/5/1925 - Klan visit and gifts at the Christian Church.
Urbana Daily Courier: 8/13/1924 - Meeting.
Champaign News-Gazette: 7/10/1925
Urbana Daily Courier: 7/10/1925 - Meeting with 1,000 people on the school grounds.
Urbana Daily Courier: 10/7/1922 - Meeting.
Courier: 8/1/1923 - Open Meeting led by area Klan organizer.
Courier: 10/2/1923 and Villa Grove News 10/4/1923 - Meeting.
Courier: 8/15/1924 - Meeting including Mr. and Mrs. Charles White and local relatives.
For researchers, there may also be local oral history on locations and impacted communities (such as local Catholics and Romani people). Links to relevant local history pages here and here.
Urbana Daily Courier: 8/14/1923 - Attendees at Villa Grove meeting including Mr. and Mrs. Grover Mattix, Mr. and Mrs. George M. Breisford (Brelsford?) and daughters, Ruth and Georgia Ellen, Mr. and Mrs. Newton Wimmer, Mr. and Mrs. Walter Reynolds and daughters, Agnes and Lola, Mrs. T. O. Cord and daughters, Lenora, Edith and Katherine. Mr. and Mrs. John Plotner and sons, Harold and Floyd, Pearl Brower, Mr. and Mrs. Clint Raver, Mrs. Howard Wrench, Herbert Wilson, Arlie Huhn and son, Kenneth, Asa Phillips and son, Earl, Mr. and Mrs. Hugo Nieman, Otto Grothe, Mr. and Mrs. Herman Mount, Mr. and Mrs. Earl Mumm, Mrs G. J. J. Mumm and daughter, Alice.
Also from the same paper: - An open meeting at Hale park:
Courier: 8/29/1923 - Attendees including Mr. and Mrs. G. M. Hoover, Mr. and Mrs. Guy C. Hoover, Mr. and Mrs. Elbert Burr and children, Mr and Mrs. Robert Dalton and children, Harry Penny, Mr. and Mrs. T. O. Cord and children, Mr. and Mrs. Clarence Williams, Mr. and Mrs. Roy Williams, George Brelsford, Mr. and Mrs. Harry Wilson, David Burr, Herbert Wilson, and John Franks.
For researchers, there may also be local oral history on locations and impacted communities (such as local Catholics and Romani people). Links to relevant local history pages here and here.
Urbana Daily Courier: 8/23/1923 - Klan debate announcement.
Rantoul Weekly Press: 8/30/1923 - O.K. Doney / Tom Sunderland "debate" coverage with only the Klan position presented by the local press:
Courier: 10/3/1923 (x2) and 10/4/1923 (Courier and Weekly Press) - Meeting at the Susdorf pasture with estimated 1,500 people, including the mayor of Danville.
Courier: 3/5/1924 - Klan visit of the First Christian church.
Courier: 3/18/1924 - Klan visits the M. E. church.
News-Gazette: 8/14/1924 - Meeting and concert.
Courier: 9/10/1924 and 9/11/1924 - Meeting.
Courier: 11/1/1924 - Exalted Cyclops warning about unauthorized cross burnings in Rantoul.
News-Gazette: 12/26/1924 - Klan Christmas event at Huling home.
Courier: 7/1/1925 - Meeting at the Christian Church.
Courier: 11/14/1925 - Klan meeting and cross burning on public school grounds.
Courier: 12/24/1925 - Klan Christmas program and donations at Huling orphan home.
Courier: 2/5/1923 and 2/7/1923 - Klan visit and gift to the Baptist church.
Sadorus Klan meeting photograph from the Champaign County Historical Archives at the Urbana Free Library, dated October 1923. Back says, "picture taken by Roland Hall from roof of what is now Charlie's Restaurant."
The above picture is likely from one of the meetings described in one of the newspaper clippings below:
Courier: 10/17/1923 - Meeting with large crowd and another meeting planned next week.
Courier: 10/23/1923 - Meeting with about 500 people.
Courier: 10/27/1923 and 10/29/1923 - Meeting.
Urbana Daily Courier: 10/9/1923 - Attendees Mr. and Mrs. Edwin Smalley and family, Mr. and Mrs. Charley Ross, Mr. and Mrs. Earl Ross and son and H. Chris.
Courier: 10/15/1923 - Attendees from Savoy.
Courier: 8/13/1924 - Attendees Mr. and Mrs. August Koss and son, Mr. and Mrs. Edwin Smalley and children, Mr. and Mrs. John Shipman and son. Mr. and Mrs. Luke Kantner and children, and Mr. and Mrs. Russell Burdick and son.
Courier: 8/19/1924 - Attendees Mr. and Mrs. Fred Courson, Mr. and Mrs. William Reifsteck and children and Mr. and Mrs. Russell Burdick and son.
Courier: 8/22/1924 - Klan funeral for George Edwin Corbin.
Courier: 9/11/1924 - Attendees Mr. and Mrs. William Reifsteck and children and Mr. and Mrs. George Hample.
Courier: 9/19/1924 - Attendees Mr. and Mrs. Ross Titus and family and Miss Maxine Corbin. Additional attendees listed Mr. and Mrs. Wallace Farquhar and children, Mr. and Mrs. Alfred McDaniels and family, Mr. and Mrs. Emery Johnson and children, Mrs. Cora Corbin, Mr. and Mrs. Pearl Maycroft and family, Miss Allen Corbin, Mr. and Mrs. Clyde Collins and daughters.
Urbana Daily Courier: 7/15/1924 - Attendees Thomas Hutchins and Lee Waters.
Courier: 8/15/1924 - Attendees Mr. and Mrs. Charles White and relatives.
Courier: 9/25, 9/26 and 9/27/1923 - Meeting.
Urbana Daily Courier: 2/19/1923 - Klan visitation and donations to the Christian Church in regalia.
Courier: 7/11/1923 and 7/16/1923, Villa Grove News 7/12/1923 - Open Klan meeting. Klan visit and gifts to the local Boy Scouts.
Courier: 8/17/1923 - A cross burning at an ice cream social on Alex Wilson's property:
Courier: 9/25/1923 - Sidney orchestra attends large Klan meeting.
Courier: 10/3/1923 - Attendees included a men's quartet from Sidney.
Courier: 11/7/1923 - Cross burning and Klan with the ladies of the Tipton church supper.
Courier: 3/18/1924 - Sidney Klan members participate in Klan church visit.
Courier: 7/17/1924 - Attendees included the Sidney Glee club.
Courier: 7/30/1924 - Parade through Sidney. Meeting at Witt Park. Large event planned with fireworks and much preparation.
See the Separate St. Joseph Page here.
Urbana Daily Courier: 10/3/1923 - Attendees include Mr. and Mrs. Jeffrey Babb, Mr. and Mrs. W. [illegible], Mr. and Mrs. William Reynolds, Mr. and Mrs. Harold Reynolds, Mr. and Mrs. Everett tackett, Misses Edna Babb and Chastie Carter.
Courier: 9/11/1924 - Attendees Mr. and Mrs. William Reifsteck with Mr. and Mrs. George Hample of Thomasboro.
Courier: 7-1-1925 - Attendees include Mr. and Mrs. Ew Dean and Family, Mr and Mrs. M. D. Taylor, Mr. and Mrs. William Rippy, Mr. and Mrs. George Hampel.
Urbana Daily Courier: 10/29/1923 - Large number of attendees including Mr. and Mrs. James Beasley, Mrs. E. Blair, Mrs. Sarah Birks, Miss Pearl Rigsby, Mr. and Mrs. Joe Gentry, L. O. Gates, Mr. and Mrs. Cecil Blair and Mr. and Mrs. Mandrell.
Courier: 2/6/1924 - Klan lecture and meeting.
Courier: 9/17/1924 and 9/19/1924 (x2) - Klan meeting at West End park.
Courier: 4/14/1925 - Klan meeting at township hall. March to M.E. church and gifts (click to enlarge).
Before the Klan's first public appearances in Villa Grove, there were some changes at the local Christian church. Reverend O. K. Doney would "retire" and be replaced by Reverend J. F. Hollingsworth. Doney would preach as a visitor in Villa Grove the month before he began publicly participating in Klan events.
Local churches and ministers would become an important avenue of Klan recruitment in the area. The Villa Grove Klan itself was chartered and celebrated in spectacular fashion. From the 5/24/1923 Villa Grove News:
The newly chartered Klan's first public appearances I could find on record were in the Urbana Daily Courier and the Villa Grove News, visiting the local churches. From the Courier on 6/28/1923 and the News on 7/5/1923 and 7/19/1923:
The News had taken a positive view of "mob law" and the necessity of lynching a few months earlier. So it probably shouldn't surprise anyone that soon after the Klan established itself and was chartered as the Villa Grove Klan No. 58 of the Ku Klux Klan Realm of Illinois, they published Klan warnings on the front page. From the 5/17/1923, 7/19/1923 and 7/26/1923 editions of the News:
In between this advocacy of "mob law" and announcing the arrival of the Klan in Villa Grove, the News also reprinted a Danville Commercial News story on 6/14/1923, that also served as a not-so-subtle warning for Black people (and perhaps other Klan targets) that the Klan was operating in the area:
Another Klan meeting occurred in Villa Grown itself soon after. From the 8/2/1923 News:
By the next month, the infamous Klan minister, Reverend McMahan was recruiting in Villa Grove with one of his pro-Klan lectures. From the 8/9/1923 News:
The Villa Grove News included the Klan's "Creed" for more mainstream audiences and recruiting with its coverage of that event in the following 8/16/1923 edition of the News:
More from the Urbana Daily Courier: 8/11/1923 and 8/14/1923 - (These might both be for the same meeting or perhaps two successive meetings).
Villa Grove News: 9/6/1923 - Local Villa Grove Klan members attended a larger Klan meeting in Chrisman, IL:
Villa Grove News: 10/4/1923 - Attendees from Villa Grove at Pesotum Klan meeting:
Villa Grove News: 1/17/1924 - Klan funeral for Chris Dalbey including "Fiery Cross" flower arrangement and Klan rites:
A Tuscola murder involving several suspected Villa Grove Klan members was reported in the St. Louis Post-Dispatch on 5/30/1924. It elicited denials from the Villa Grove Klan "secretary" and the "Great Titan" overseeing the Southern Illinois Klans. The "secretary" of the Villa Grove Klan denies they are chartered in spite of the Villa Grove News reporting on 5/24/1923 that they had been chartered a year earlier:
Urbana Daily Courier: 7/16/1924 - Regular Klan meeting. Near George Shafer home and using Eugene Cecil lighting setup.
Champaign News-Gazette: 8/14/1924 - Rev. Hollingsworth, pastor of the Christian church in Villa Grove gives Klan meeting address in Rantoul (and other locations. There will be a separate page on him).
Courier: 9/11/1924 - Meeting of several thousand men and women Klan members. Entertainment and a Klan wedding of Frances Parsons in the George Shafer woods.
A Klan funeral was performed for Gilmer Reynolds in Villa Grove and reported in the Decatur Herald & Review on 9/24/1924. Reverend Hollingsworth was one of the officials involved:
Urbana Daily Courier: 2/13/1925 - Attendees included George Clouser, George Vinson, and Earl Cox.
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