The KKK in Wooster
The KKK, possibly marching in the 1924 Memorial Day Parade or a 1921 rally in downtown Wooster.
Any discussion of secret societies in Wooster should note the notorious and violent Ku Klux Klan. The Ku Klux Klan was constantly at odds with the community of Wooster. The Klan were not benevolent, like other organizations found in nineteenth and twentieth century Wooster. They were known for antagonizing and becoming violent towards certain groups of people, including non-whites, foreigners, and non-Protestants.1 Their activities in Wooster were, unfortunately, no exception. Until the late 1920s when the Klan faded from prominence, the Black, Jewish, and Catholic communities of Wooster faced hostility from the KKK, most often in the form of cross burnings.2
The Knights of Columbus, a Catholic organization, was at odds with the KKK, reflecting tensions within the community.
Other secret societies refused to associate with the Klan. In the 1924 Memorial Day parade, the Knights of Columbus and their supporters refused to march with the Klan, forcing them to march on a separate route and showing that community support was divided. Some supported the Klan while those likely to be targeted, such as the Knights of Columbus, hated them.3 Soon afterward, in the face of public criticism and widely-publicized acts of violence, the Klan declined and eventually disappeared from Wooster.
1 "Ku Klux Klan," Ohio History Connection, June 23, 2014. http://www.ohiohistorycentral.org/w/Ku_Klux_Klan
2 McClarran, Harry S. Interviewed by Anna Claspy. Personal interview. Wooster, OH, June 17, 2014.
3 “Klan’s Injection Into Parade Causes K. of C. to Leave Line of March,” The Daily Record, May 31, 1924.