The following unidentified newspaper articles were found in a scrapbook owned by Town Historian Richard Schmal:
April 1923 (hand-dated):
The first open meeting of the Ku Klux Klan was held Monday night in the Christian church. The speaker said they stand for the betterment of conditions along moral, patriotic, political, and religious lines. He emphasized the fact that the Klan stand for 100 percent American, which we understand is the slogan of the organization. During the past week there has been three fiery crosses burned in Lowell, Wednesday night on Washington St. near the railroad; Friday night on the west side of town and Saturday night in front of the public library. The burning of the crosses and the big meeting all in one week would seem to indicate that there was a live organization of the K.K.K. in Lowell.
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July 5, 1923 [Sixty Years Ago]:
The Ladies Auxiliary of the Ku Klux Klan had a big meeting in Lowell last Wednesday night. The ladies gathered at the park and about 9:30 began their parade, there being about 150 in line. They wore the uniform of the Klan and made the march with no demonstration whatever and went the entire route without a word. They went east to Liberty Street to Washington Street, east to Mill, north to Main, east to Burnham, and west on Commercial Avenue to the park. There were people from all parts of the county and the streets were lined with automobiles.
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August 2, 1923 [Sixty Years Ago]:
Negotiations are under way for the sale of the Valparaiso University at Valparaiso to the order of the Ku Klux Klan in Indiana. The property is valued at $175,000 and from the reports it is said that if the Trustees of the university can furnish a clear title to the property the deal will be closed. The head of the Klan have made the statement that if they purchase the property it will be devoted to the teaching of Americanism. Improvements will be made and they expect to enlarge and the University will be as large as Purdue University.
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October 25, 1923 [Sixty Years Ago]:
A big Ku Klux Klan meeting was held in Lowell Saturday night. There were delegations from all parts of the country and they began assembling in Oakland park and to arrive about 5 p.m. and kept coming in until nearly eight o'clock. About 7 o'clock the Klansmen began and about 8:30 the parade started. They went east on the road in front of the park and came down Commercial Avenue from the east. There were fully 400 men and women in uniform and they had a band with them that played at intervals during the parade. An invitation was given to the public to attend the meeting at the park after the parade and we understand that about 20 candidates were taken into the order.
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May 22, 1924 [Sixty Years Ago]:
Rev. C.A. Brown and the audience at the M.E. Church last Sunday evening were greatly surprised when at the close of singing the second song the doors opened and in marched about a dozen members of the Ku Klux Klan in full uniforms. They marched to the altar and after standing a moment presented Rev. Brown with an envelope with a note saying it was for the new church fund. After presenting the envelope the Klan members quietly passed out of the church. On opening the envelope it was found to contain $100 to be applied on the building fund.
The following item was in the July 31, 1924, Lowell Tribune (page 8, column 4):
Friday night Creston was impressively entertained by the Ku Klux Klan. A meeting was held on what is known as "The Island," north of the church. A large cross was burned on the highest hill, where it was visible for a radius of several miles.