Palmer Lake Historical Society, Feb. 16 – History of the KKK in Denver presented

By Marlene Brown

At the March 16 meeting of the Palmer Lake Historical Society (PLHS), special guest speaker Shaun Boyd, curator of History Colorado, presented a program on the Ku Klux Klan (KKK) in the greater Denver area in the 1920s. Even though it was a dark time in Colorado history, the Colorado History Society has procured archives of the KKK membership and be able record in history as far the activities of the KKK of the time.

In the early 1900s there were about 100,000 people living in the Denver area, with about one-third being members of the KKK. As many as 30,000 people would show up for an event. The events were political and condoned violence. In 1915, The Birth of a Nation was the first nationally released film. The film was controversial and has remained so ever since as “the most reprehensibly racist film in Hollywood history.” The film has since been denounced for its racist depiction of African Americans, according to www.wikipedia.org.

Above: Shaun Boyd, curator of History Colorado, presents her program on the history of the KKK in Denver to the Palmer Lake Historical Society. March 16. Photo by Marlene Brown.

Many of Denver’s well-known residents, including Mayor Benjamin Franklin Stapleton who served five terms, 1923-31 and 1935-47, was a member of the KKK. He also was the Democratic Colorado state auditor from 1933 to 1935.

Though the Klan came to Colorado in 1921, they were disbanded by 1929. The records and membership ledgers can be viewed at historycolorado.org/kkkledgers. There were no known members on the ledgers from the Tri-Lakes area.

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Next month’s program is scheduled to be Treasure Trove of Local History—Pikes Peak Library District Collections by Brett Lobello, director of Regional History and Genealogy. Lobello will share information about researching through the library district’s special collections stored in the Carnegie Building next to the Penrose Library in Colorado Springs. The public is welcome to learn how to research for special projects.

The next meeting is scheduled for 7 to 8:30 p.m. April 20 (doors open at 6:30) at the Palmer Lake Town Hall, 42 Valley Crescent St. For more information, see palmerdividehistory.org. The PLHS offered a special “thank you” to Sigi Walker for her longtime work and support to the group and her special talents for the upkeep of the website and newsletter.

Marlene Brown can be reached by email at malenebrown@ocn.me.

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