Monday, August 14, 2017

The Ku Klux Klan & Lucas County: A few updates


Back in 2012, I wrote two pieces about Ku Klux Klan history in Lucas County --- blog posts that seem especially relevant now in light of weekend events in Charlottesville. Here's a link to the first installment; and here's another to the second.

The long and the short of it all is this --- one of the largest and strongest Klan organizations in Iowa developed in Lucas County during 1923 and flourished through 1926.

The snapshot at the top here shows "knights and ladies" of the Klan during that period entering the United Brethren Church --- now standing derelict and minus its bell tower at the intersection of North 8th Street and Roland Avenue, just north of Chariton Free Public Library. The occasion was the funeral of a Klan member. I do not know the date or the name of the deceased.

The United Brethren pastor, the venerable George J. Cornford, most likely was a Klan member.

The Klan's rise in Lucas County commenced with the arrival during the summer of 1922 of the Rev. Jesse David Pontius (1879-1955), called as pastor by the congregation of Chariton's First Christian Church (Disciples of Christ). The steeple of that church is barely visible in the background of the snapshot. It stood in what now is the parking lot of Pierschbacher Funeral Home. The Rev. Mr. Pontius previously had served Humeston Christian Church for five years and also had served as principal of Humeston schools during the last two years of his tenure there.

By the summer of 1923, Pontius and others had recruited a professional Klan organizer from Indiana, a personable young man named Wayne A. Blankenship. Blankenship moved to Chariton and went to work.

What seems to have been the first major public promotional meeting of the Klan in Chariton occurred on the courthouse square during April of 1923, featuring Dr. James Franklin Sanders, a former Baptist preacher then affiliated with Des Moines University.

I've included reports of that meeting from Chariton newspapers in earlier posts, but here's how The Union-Republican in our neighboring county seat town of Albia reported on it April 30, 1923, in a front-page story headlined, "Klan is Kluxing at Chariton Now" ---

"Our neighboring village of Chariton, the capital city of Lucas county, is now listening to the ku ku kluxing of the Ku Klux Klan. Last Thursday evening, Dr. James Franklin Sanders, he who is officially the financial secretary of Des Moines University, gave a street lecture on the subject "Principles of the Knights of the Ku Klux Klan Exposed." Exposed --- yes, from all prevailing reports, about all the exposing there was done was to laud the sheet-and-pillow-slip organization to the skies, and painting the organization as one of lily white principles.

"The doctor said that the Klan had nothing against the Jews, Catholics or Negroes. If this be true, then from all reports the local kluxers have an entirely wrong impression of their organization.

"In summarizing the principles of the Klan he said that they stood for protection of womanhood, just laws and liberty, closer relationship of pure Americanism, the upholding of the Constitution of the United States, the sovereignty of our state rights, freedom of speech and press, prevention of fires and destruction of property by lawless elements, the limitation of foreign immigration and law and order.

"There are just lots and lots of residents of Albia and the whole world in fact who believe in these things, too, but they don't have to hide themselves behind a sheet to let the world know what they stand for. And they don't have to slip down a dark alley to attend the kluxing of an order supposed to further these principles."

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During April of 1924, the Lucas County Klan purchased for use as a meeting hall, headquarters and offices the former United Presbyterian Church at the intersection of North Grand Street and Auburn Avenue --- now the home of Truth Assembly of God. This was the first time an Iowa Klan chapter had purchased its own building.

Both Chariton newspapers reported briefly upon the purchase at the time, as did The Fiery Cross, the Indianapolis-based national newspaper of the Klan.

What was not reported upon locally, however, was the dedication of this building a year later. 

I found this report of that event in the June 11, 1925, edition of The Southern Iowa American, a Klan-affiliated newspaper published at Centerville:

"Chariton, Ia. --- About a year ago, six leaders in the Klan unit in this city got together and decided the local Klavern should have a home of its own.

"An abandoned Protestant church, together with a fine building adjoining, formerly used as the manse, were purchased at a very reasonable figure. Both buildings are very substantial, standing at a splendid corner, several blocks away from the public square.

"They meet the needs of the Klan. The church is used as the Klavern for the men and women, and the manse as offices for both orders.

"These six men underwrote the purchase price of the property until available funds for the liquidation of the debt could be met.

"Several nights ago, the temple was dedicated with appropriate ceremony as the local Klan's home. The Klans-women had prepared a splendid program of music and addresses. Rev. J.D. Pontius, pastor of the Church of Christ, gave the dedicatory address. The Imperial Representative for Iowa was present and made a splendid address on what the Klan has done and what the future holds for it.

"After the services, lunch was served the Women of the Klan.

"The Klan is here to stay, and with a fine home to live in, it will forge ahead. The deed to the temple has been turned over and it is free of any debt. Too much cannot be said of the men who so sacrificed themselves and used their resources that the Klan could enjoy their own home."


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During August of 1924, one of the larger "konklaves" of the Iowa Klan was held at Chandler Field in Chariton, followed by a night-time parade around the square. At the time, this was said to have been the largest public gathering ever held in Lucas County. Chandler Field was a baseball field equipped with bleachers and other amenities on the river bottom somewhere in the vicinity of the current intersection of U.S. 34 and the "dump road."

I've included local reports of that event in earlier posts, but here's a report that was published on Aug. 15, 1924, in the Indianapolis-based Fiery Cross under the headline, "Iowa Klans Stage a Big Ceremonial: 25,000 gather at Chariton for Parade, Speaking and Initiation" ---

"CHARITON, Ia., August 12 --- One of the most gorgeous parades ever held in the state was witnessed by 25,000 people at Chariton this week. A meeting for the women was held in the afternoon and a national speaker addressed the group on the organization's principles. Late in the afternoon the delegations from all parts of southern and central Iowa began to arrive, and the Des Moines band, fast obtaining a statewide reputation for its excellent music and gorgeous robes, came in a huge bus.

"Representatives of other counties came in decorated cars, which added much to the color and picturesqueness of the evening parade. In the preparation of the many beautiful floats the women of Lucas and Wayne counties spared no pains. One machine was intricately woven with hundreds of strands of brightly colored crepe paper. Another was done in an orange and blue effect with large flowers in purple. Special credit goes to the Lucas County Klan for this successful Konklave."

1 comment:

Sonja said...

this makes me sad to think my hometown was involved in this.....but it's also interesting to read about. my mom and dad were just born in these years....so thankfully they were not involved....it's still such a sad time in our history...unfortunately ....I know it's still around...