History Speaks - Birth of a Klavern: The Rise of the Ku Klux Klan in St. Joseph, 1921–1925

Historian Houston Roberts will present his research on the Ku Klux Klan in St. Joseph in the period from 1921-1925.  This presentation was showcased at the 2019 Missouri Conference on History. 

Local studies have only just begun to scratch the surface of the conditions that allowed klaverns to not only form, but come to prominence within communities. In examining local St. Joseph newspapers, as well as the Ku Klux Klan’s own local Missouri Valley Independent, this paper delves into the history of the St. Joseph klavern from the conditions that led to its formation in 1921 through its rise to become the state headquarters for the Klan in Missouri.