On Labor Day weekend 1925, the Ku Klux Klan of Dauphin County, Pennsylvania, held a huge demonstration in Harrisburg, the county seat and capital city of the state. Large crowds arrived to participate and witness as thousands of white-robed Klansmen and Klanswomen paraded in full regalia.
Newspapers covered the event as if it were a normal celebration of the last holiday of the summer. This article is from the Harrisburg Evening News, September 7, 1925:
Note that of the dozen or so names mentioned in this article, nearly all of whom were persons who lived outside Dauphin County, Pennsylvania, the name of James Shuttlesworth of Williamstown is prominent. More research needs to be done on this Klan official, not previously mention in other articles that have been located thus far.
KLAN RALLIES HERE FOR BIG PARADE
DOZEN STATES EXPECTED TO BE REPRESENTED;
146 AUTOS FROM WASHINGTON
Thousands of members of the Ku Klux Klan from a dozen states are here today for the first big demonstration of the Klan in this city.
More than 5000 members of the Klan, including men, women, and children of the junior orders, now expected to to participate late this afternoon in a parade that will cover several central streets and end at Island Park where competitive drills will be held. A field meet was held at the Island this morning.
At 8 o’clock this evening there will be a general meeting at the Island with addresses by national and State officers of the organization, followed by a naturalization ceremony. The addresses will be delivered by Dr. W. H. Chase, Atlanta; A. T. Carlberg, Pittsburgh; the Rev. Dr. J. A. Taylor, Dallas, Texas; Dr. H. C. Hartranft, Hershey; and Sam D. Rich, Pittsburgh, grand dragon of Pennsylvania.
Parking Places Filled
The usual holiday aspect of the city disappeared early in the day when thousands of automobiles began arriving. The cars, bearing white clad and white capped Klansmen, began arriving Saturday. Yesterday the municipal parking and camping places in Wildwood and Island Parks were filled and hundreds of cars were parked in fields on the West Shore.
One thousand members of the Klan came here by automobile from Montgomery County [Pennsylvania] today, and other counties sent large delegations, officials said. One hundred and forty-six cars bearing Washington Klan members came here early today after being stalled for several hours in a detour traffic jam east of Gettysburg where the State is rebuilding roads formerly maintained by the Federal Government. Yesterday’s rain turned the detour into mud that held up the procession.
The State headquarters of the organization is at the Penn-Harris Hotel, which was the center of activities during the early part of the day. It was not more crowded that other hotels, however, for all were filled yesterday and in many of them last night special religious services were conducted. Rooming houses throughout the city were also overcrowded.
The Klan took active charge of direction of the thousands of incoming automobiles. When Island Park became crowded the city opened a large space at the Maclay Street entrance to Wildwood Park, where more than 1000 cars were soon parked.
While the flag-decorated machines were coming into the city by all roads, other thousands of persons were arriving by regular and special trains from all parts of the State. Grand Dragon Rich said early this afternoon that there was no county in the State unrepresented, and that every city had its representatives here.
Massed Flag Formation
A feature of the street scenes was the massed flag formation of the Washington Klansmen. There were more than 400 men who carried flags in this. They will have a prominent place in the line of march and at the succeeding ceremony at the Island. Washington, as a mark of courtesy to Pennsylvania, which sent many members to the national capital for the August parade, sent its flag formation here.
Touchart and Flack, national photographers, were early on the scene taking motion pictures of the crowds and photographs of groups and individuals.
Interest
One of the units that attracted attention was the Norristown drill team, the State champions, which was the competitive drill on July 4 at Lebanon. It took part in the various drills of the day and in the Island Park ceremonies. J. Forrest Gain, director of the team, had twenty-seven men in line.
The Tri-K Club, composed of junior members, boys and girls, also attracted favorable comment for their marching. Many delegations of women were ready early this afternoon to participate in the parade.
Grand Dragon Rich this afternoon announced that the next big State demonstration is to be at Gettysburg. This will be held September 19 and 20 [1925], and a vast crowd is expected there. Dr. H. W. Evans, imperial wizard, of Atlanta, will then be the principal speaker.
Streets Filled
The streets early this morning showed evidence of the incoming herds of members of the organization, when steady streams of automobiles began running through Market Square, reaching there from the bridges and from the other entrances to the city.
By 9 o’clock practically all the parking space in the central part of the city was occupied, the streets being more congested then than during the the usual business day. For every local holiday seeker who left town by automobile, by train or trolley car scores of visitors entered.
Not all the visitors, however, are Klansmen. The staging of the Klan parade and the series of gatherings of the day attracted here thousands of persons from nearby points, attracted out of curiosity.
Most of the machines of the members bore American flags, large and small, and some owners of cars had decorated the spokes of their wheels with red, white and blue bunting. Many occupants of the cars were white clad and wore white pointed caps, but none was masked, The Klan cars bore Pennsylvania, Maryland, New York, New Jersey, Virginia and other license plates.
Many Here Yesterday
The visiting Klan members began arriving yesterday. They were distinguished by chalk marks on their cars and the presence of flags about their machines. A white-garbed member was stationed at Island Park and directed traffic, turning cars into the Island if their occupants desired to park there or camp for the night, and giving directions about the municipal parking space in the city and information about parking rules about the streets.
Two meetings were held last night at Island Park, opening the biggest Klan event ever staged here. The Rev. H. C. Hartranft, of Hershey, addressed 500 members who attended a meeting at the baseball field during the early evening rain. “What Will You Do With That Man Jesus, Called the Christ?” was his theme. He was introduced by James Shuttlesworth of Williamstown. At the same time, Willard Morse, of Delaware County, appearing among the campers at the lower end of the Island proposed a meeting under one of the spacious arches of the Cumberland Valley Railroad bridge. Klansmen and their families gathered there and there were several short speeches and the singing of hymns.
The first of the meetings today was held at Island Park at 10 o’clock. Sam D. Rich, grand dragon of Pennsylvania, conducted a field meet there. It attracted a large crowd.
The feature of the afternoon will be the parade. While this will get under way over a two-mile line of march at 3 o’clock on the streets leading into Front Street.
The marchers will form in Locust, Pine, State, North, Forster and Boas, Herr, Cumberland, Verbeke and Reily Streets. At 3 o’clock the parade will move through the principal streets of the city.
The route of the parade this afternoon at 3 o’clock follows: North in Front Street to Hamilton, to Second, to Briggs, to Third to Market, to Island Park.
After marching through this city the Klansmen will go to Island Park, where the Klavaliers will hold competitive drills.
Prizes Awards
To the tune of music played by the boys of the Harrisburg Junior Klan Band, Klansmen and Klanswomen practiced drills, and boys, girls, men and women of the Klan participated in field events on Island Park this morning.
Judges of the athletic events were unable to get the names of all the winners. However, the Dauphin County organization of the Klan will forward prizes to those winners who gave their names to the judges.
The winners of the races who turned over their names, follow:
Pony Race, Robert Jones, Harrisburg.
One hundred yard dash for boys under 18, William Burd, 500 Curtin street.
One hundred yard dash for men, Theodore Levan, Conshohocken.
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News articles from Newspapers.com.
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