Disclaimer
The Center of Southwest Studies does not condone or have association with the views and perspectives of the Ku Klux Klan. The records described by this inventory are maintained at the Center because it is a cultural repository for records, photos, and books about the Southwest. The Center's Collection Policy includes preserving and making available all types of materials that document life in this region over time.
Using these Materials
Please contact the Center of Southwest Studies Archives Manager at archives@fortlewis.edu for more information about reproductions and accessing the collection.
Access Restrictions: There are no access restrictions on the use of this collection. The collection is non-circulating but open to the public for use in the Delaney Southwest Research Library at the Center of Southwest Studies.
Reproduction and Copyright: Materials held by the Center may be protected under U.S. and international copyright laws. Reproduction does not constitute a transfer of copyright or publication rights. Researchers are solely responsible for complying with copyright law and for obtaining any necessary permissions for reproduction or publication. The Center assumes no liability for unauthorized use of materials.
Related Materials:
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F 012
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Ku Klux Klan artifacts collection
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M 107
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Southwest student papers, "The Ku Klux Klan in Durango, Colorado" by Wendell Coon, Fall 1965 and "A Brief History of Comparative Analysis of the Ku Klux Klan Hickman" by Justin Alan, [undated].
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Preferred Citation: [Identification of item], [Collection Title], [Collection Number], Center of Southwest Studies, Fort Lewis College, Durango, Colorado.
Collection Description
Historical/Biographical Note: Histories of the Ku Klux Klan are readily available elsewhere, including an article by Fort Lewis College Professor Duane Smith about the Bayfield Klan in the Autumn 2005 issue of Colorado Heritage by the Colorado Historical Society.
Various conjectures pertaining to the local Bayfield, Colorado chapter include a statement that the Bayfield Klan was more a social club than a sinister secret organization; that businesses owned by Klan members used three K's in their titles, and that members (not just in this region, and not necessarily in this region) who were Klan members showed affiliation by placing their thumb and little finger in a pants pocket and leaving the middle three sticking out.
Scope & Contents: This collection contains the historically significant records retained from activities of the Ku Klux Klan in Bayfield, CO, specifically the Pine River Klan #69 of Colorado, in the 1920s. The collection consists of printed materials, letters and correspondences, membership records reports, and other records pertaining to the Bayfield KKK.
Due to the sensitive nature of this material, it was originally separated into two boxes; Box 1 contained general Klan records and was open to the public, and Box 2 was closed for research until July 1, 2002, due to the Center of Southwest Studies' General Restriction Policy, which states that the Center will not provide access to "materials containing information about a living person that reveal details of a highly personal or libelous nature which, if released, would constitute a clearly unwarranted invasion of privacy or a libel." On February 20, 2002 the staff of the Center of Southwest Studies agreed to open Box 2 to research, which contains Bayfield Ku Klux Klan records (i.e., those with names on them), effective July 1, 2002 (72 years after the date of the last document in the collection; this is the same privacy period as for U.S. census population schedules). All of the documents are now available for the use of the researcher.
Arrangement: Materials in this collection are arranged by series. The series are numbered consecutively. Because we do not expect to add to this collection, the boxes are numbered in one single numbering scheme starting with 1. Folder numbers start with 1 in each box. Items within each series (e.g., correspondence, reports) and within each folder are arranged chronologically, unless noted otherwise.
Acquisition Information: These records were found by donor Jeff Bryson in a locked box in a building at 325 Mill Street in Bayfield. The building was formerly occupied by Akers Motor Company. Clyde W. Akers was Klingrapp (Secretary) for the Pine River Klan #69 of Colorado. It has been said orally that the records were found during renovations of the upstairs living apartments of what was then the Locomotion Auto Repair Shop. The accession number is 1984:02001. The collection also contains accession 1998:12005, a student paper on "The Ku Klux Klan and Religion" written by Fort Lewis College English Department student Eric Hammell and printouts from the Web which he used for his paper.
Processing Information: This collection was arranged and described by the archivist. No records were deaccessioned or removed during the processing of this collection. The entire collection was microfilmed in January of 2004, by QC Microfilm Systems (Durango, CO), on one 16mm film roll, using a reduction ratio of 24X or (larger pages) 32X. The microfilm project was funded by the Fryer-Levitt project on The Economics of Hatred. Archives student worker Kelly McBride scanned the microfilm pages to digital pdfs for availability on the Web in the Winter of 2012. Archives student worker Tia Flippin edited and reformatted the online inventory in the Winter of 2012.
Subjects:
Associations, institutions, etc.--Race relations--Colorado--Bayfield.
Bayfield, Colorado--Clubs.
Colorado Knights of the Ku Klux Klan.
Ku Klux Klan.
Pine River Klan #69.
Racism--Societies, etc.--Colorado--Bayfield--History.
Radicalism -- Societies, etc.--Colorado--Bayfield.
Secret societies--Colorado--Bayfield.
Social movements--Colorado--Bayfield.
White supremacy movements--Colorado--La Plata County.
White Citizens councils--Colorado--Bayfield.
Detailed Description of the Collection
Series & Container Description
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Series 1: Knights of the Ku Klux Klan printed materials
Series 2: Pine River Klan #69 of Colorado Knights of the Ku Klux Klan records
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Series 1: Knights of the Ku Klux Klan printed materials
Circa 1920s and 1991. Arrangement is chronological.
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Description
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Box/Folder
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Knights of the Ku Klux Klan constitution and bylaws, 1921. Two different covers. 30x of the same small volume.
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1/1
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The Practice of Klanishness: First lesson in the science and art of Klankraft, booklet, 1924. 2x
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1/2
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Commander Robbie Gill Comer, address, 1926 Sept. 14. 2x.
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1/3
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Klode card, [ca. 192-]. 8x. Opening and closing rituals.
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1/4
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Non silba sed anthar cards, [ca. 192-] (blank). For members' oaths to the Klan.
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1/5
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Knights of the Great Forest membership card receipt booklets, [ca. 1920's]. 3 packets of identical forms.
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1/6
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Klan regalia order forms (blank), [ca. 192-]. 4 packets of identical forms.
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1/7
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National Emblem Company (Omaha, Neb.), printed materials, [ca. 1920's].
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1/8
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Empire Mutual Life Insurance Company (Washington, D.C.), printed materials, [ca. 1920's].
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1/9
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A search-light on the Ku Klux Klan, leaflet / by The Internationals (Costa Mesa, Calif.), [undated, ca. 1920's]. 1 page, two-sided.
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1/10
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Ku Klux Klan history, articles: (1) The Klan in Colorado/ by Judge O. Otto Moore (Rocky Mountain News, Sunday, April 29, 1979, Denver, CO., pages 62 and 63. (2) Brotherhood of Horse Whisperers: The Horseman's World/ by Archie McKerracher (The Highlander: The Magazine of Scottish Heritage, Jan./Feb. 1989, pages 1, 54-58).
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1/11
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Klan evidence is uncovered in Bayfield, article/ by Joel Millman (Durango Herald, Feb. 8, 1984, page 11).
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1/12
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Knights of the Ku Klux Klan calling card, [ca. 1991]. Distributed at the Fort Lewis College campus in the fall of 1991 at about the time of Shawn Slater's speaking appearance.
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1/13
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Ku Klux Klan spokesman Shawn Slater's speaking appearance at Fort Lewis College (Durango, Colorado), printed materials, 1991-1992. Includes Dick Ellis's red laminated media access pass, news articles on the event in The Messenger (Fort Lewis College Faculty-Staff Bulletin, Dec. 16, 1991 and March 2, 1992), The Independent (Fort Lewis College student newspaper, Dec. 6, 1991), Bobcat Post (Ignacio High School student newspaper, March 31, 1992, which includes the newspaper's interview with Shawn Slater), a mimeographed page dated Dec. 9, 1991 signed by 22 Fort Lewis College faculty about a faculty forum the next day on the issue, and a one-page flyer by the Klan announcing an Abolish the King Holiday Rally on Jan. 20, 1992 in Denver.
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1/14
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The Ku Klux Klan and religion, student paper / by Eric Hammell, December 1998, written for White Trash Poetics (ENGL 317) class, English Department, Fort Lewis College (accession #1998:12005], 13 pages. Plus his printouts from Website information on the Klan.
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1/15
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Color photo page of a seal at the Notah Dineh Museum, Cortex, that prints out an embossed stamp reading "Women of the Ku Klux Klan Kolorado Kolumbine Klan No. 6, Mancos, CO."
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1/16
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Series 2: Pine River Klan #69 of Colorado Knights of the Ku Klux Klan records
1920's-1990. Arrangement is chronological.
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Description
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Box/Folder
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Notices and bulletins, 1925-1928 / by Grand Dragon, Realm of Colorado.
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2/1
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Kligrapp’s quarterly reports, 1925-1927.
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2/2
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Resolutions adopted, 1925 Feb. 10 – 1926 March 25.
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2/3
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Memos and correspondence, 1927 July 25 – 1928 December 3.
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2/4
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Clyde W. Akers, letters and correspondence, 1925-1928.
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2/5
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Forrest S. Graves, correspondence, 1925.
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2/6
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Membership dues and subscriptions records, 1925-1927.
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2/7
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Applications for citizenship, 1925-1928.
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2/8
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Membership applications, 1925.
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2/9
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Membership transfer forms, 1925-1926.
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2/10
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Non Silba Sed Anthar cards, named, 1925-1928..
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2/11
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Objections to memberships and petitions for banishments.
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2/12
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Klan membership tickets, 1928.
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2/13
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Donation certificates and receipts, 1928.
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2/14
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Various documents, 1926 and 1929-1930.
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2/15
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Voters list, 1926 July 30.
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2/16
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Klabee receipt book, undated (ca. 1920s).
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2/17
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Harold R. Phelps, reminiscence letter, 1990 Oct. 3.
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2/18
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Correspondence of personal story concerning the end of the KKK in Durango from Vernon Wood to Duane Smith July 6, 2010
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3/1
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The Durango, CO. Klansman newspaper Volume 1, Numbers 2-4, May-August 1925 (three issues, published monthly) Copy #2. Includes the original of No. 3 and photocopies of all three issues.
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3/2
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| Creator | Akers, Clyde W. |
| Dates | 1921-1992, inclusive; 1921-1928 bulk |
| Extent | 1.5 linear shelf feet (in 2 document cases and 1 flat box) |
| The Bayfield, Colorado Ku Klux Klan records document the activities of Pine River Klan #69 during the 1920s, with some related materials dating to the late 20th century. The collection includes printed materials, correspondence, membership applications, reports, receipts, and related organizational records created or retained by Clyde W. Akers, Kligrapp (secretary) of the chapter. Also included are student papers and modern documentation reflecting the Klan’s presence in the region. |
| Language | English |
| Collection Identifier | M075 |
| Physical Location | This collection is located at the Center of Southwest Studies on the campus of Fort Lewis College (1000 Rim Dr. Durango, CO). |