According to the Elk County history book the Ku Klux Klan became active in the county in the 1920s.
The local Klan purpose was to teach Americanism and was against Negroes, Jews, and Catholics.
Flaming crosses accompanied by men in white robes took place in numerous meadows of the county.
Stories spread that Elk County was the location of whippings and tar and feather incidents.
I would like to hear some of those stories!
I have mentioned before on this site, that on a rainy day when I was a little girl, Grandma would get down the boxes of old photos and we would sit at the kitchen table and go through them. (Probably why I love old photos to this day). Anyway, one of the photos, and it was a bigger cabinet photo, was of a hanging. Two black men hanging from a large tree. I don't remember a crowd of people being in the picture. Don't remember if there were more than one photo. I remember asking her about it and she matter of factly said, "That was a hanging that happened over in the next county." That was all that was said. I have no idea if any of my family was there or how they happened to have the photo. At this time we were living in Neosho Co, Ks. However, my grandparents lived in Wilson Co until 1941. I would say this photo was probably taken in the earlier 1900's.
When my grandfather died, my aunt and uncle had just a few days to come back and clear out the house. By the time I got there boxes of old photos had been hauled away in the trash. What a gold mine of info lost. Anyway, that is the only story I have. People have asked me to put some of the Annie Knight columns on the site. As one goes back and reads them, they can be quite blunt and written in the accepted language of the day. We may never know what secrets our forefathers took to their graves with them.
The Elk County history book speaks of stories but does not elaborate.
I suspect there is little mention in Elk County newspapers of Klan gatherings, cross burnings, or tar and feathering.
Many otherwise good intentioned people got involved in the Klan hysteria of the 1920s.
Over in Roma Jean's territory a short distance away from the city is a tourist cave. I have forgotten the name. Thirty years ago, jeeps pulled wagons loaded with tourists through the entire cave. I think a good part of it was damaged in a huge flood a few years ago.
There is a monstrous room in that cave. During the 1920s, that room held up to 7,000 Klan members for meetings.
Was it Fantastic Caverns?
That sounds familiar
There is a town in Neosho County named Shaw or Walnut, I think. Anyway, this little town was famous in Neosho County for meetings of the KKK. The sheriff drove me through there one time and told me that.
Really interesting. I'm not sure where those little towns were. There is a Shaw Road South of Chanute that has been there for years. I have always been so interested in Elk Co history that I realize I've never paid any attention to Neosho Co History. Another project. I'm not sure about Fantastic Cavern, but I'll check it out.
Fantastic Cavern was founded/explored by a number of women.
The Ku Klux Klan supposedly owned it at one time but I am not sure if the organization owned it or a man in the Klan was the owner.
Shaw was located on the Shaw road on the East side of the Neosho River bridge. There are still houses there. Its biggest claim to fame was the Shaw tractor that was built there.
Walnut is located East and North of Erie. There were still businesses there the last time I drove through.
Marty