Colorado Was Once Home to the Second-Most KKK Members

The Ku Klux Klan is widely known to be a hate group, predominantly in the nation’s southern states, where slavery was once legal, that targets groups like African Americans, Catholics, and the Jewish community.

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However, in the 1920s, when the group experienced a resurgence in the United States, Colorado was home to the second-highest concentration of Ku Klux Klan members in the nation, many of whom held positions in the state’s government.

The Ku Klux Klan Infiltrates Colorado in the 1920s

With the help of then-President Ulysses S. Grant, the Ku Klux Klan dissolved in 1871. However, the hate group enjoyed a resurgence in 1915, and by the 1920s, the KKK had an estimated 4 million members, including some prominent Coloradans.

By 1925, Colorado was home to numerous prominent figures who were members of the KKK, including Denver Mayor Ben Stapleton, Denver police chief William Candlish, and Colorado governor Clarence Morley, being the most notable.

It was at this time that numerous members of the state legislature were members of the KKK, including members of the state’s Supreme Court, and seven members of the Denver District Courts.

In addition to Denver, other major cities with heavy activity involving the Ku Klux Klan included Pueblo, Cañon City, and Grand Junction. Luckily, after its peak in 1925, the KKK would largely dissolve in Colorado.

The Fall of the Ku Klux Klan in Colorado

When the KKK membership in Colorado was at its peak, numerous prominent figures, including district attorney Philip Van Cise and state judge Ben B. Lindsey, took on the hate group, largely affecting its influence in Colorado’s government.

One of the biggest steps taken to weaken the Klan’s influence was an effort to investigate Colorado’s then-Grand Dragon John G. Locke for tax evasion.

Read More: The Story of China Mary is a Troubling Look into Colorado’s Past

Learn more about this troubling chapter of Colorado history from an extensive article from History Colorado here.