The Knights of the Invisible Empire Ride to Spokane

While the people of Spokane would have heard about the revival of the Ku Klux Klan as early as it’s re-founding by William Joseph Simmons in 1915, it would take some time until the organization was at their doorstep. The Klan announced its presence in Washington State on July 2nd, 1921. When coming into Washington, the Klan followed their established strategy of expansion.* Local Kleagles (recruitment officers) were selected and given specific domains to recruit within. For every new recruit, each paying $10 membership dues, the recruiting Kleagle earned $4. Reportedly, many founding members of Klan chapters were recruited from other fraternal organizations such as the Masons and the Knights of Pythias. The official beginning of the Klan in Washington was in 1921 when Major Luther Ivan Powell was appointed King Kleagle of the state and eventually of the Pacific Northwest Domain. The organization began to establish rapidly.

Before officially coming to Eastern Washington, a series of talks took place to raise awareness of Klan presence and sway public opinion on the nature of the organization. Publicity for these talks such as those by Rev. R. L. Burger of Walla Walla was garnered through newspaper announcements of the talks as well as personalized invitations to more exclusive events. At such talks, the speakers, who were usually Protestant ministers, would speak in favor of patriotism and often used the words "100 Percent Americanism" to describe the goals of the Klan. Riding off patriotism and nativism garnered during the First World War, many of the talking points given by Klan promoters were—while reactionary—quite non-controversial within the political ideology of the time.

Additionally, the Klan was notorious for appearing—clad in full regalia—at Protestant church services at which they presented letters of support to the preachers accompanied by donations to the church. This tactic was used at the evangelical Methodist Gospel Crusade in Spokane—reported in March of 1922. Two Klansmen in full robe and hood presented the preacher with $50 and a note stating their devotion to an open Bible, pure manhood, chaste womanhood, and pure Americanism.  

            While this publicity stunt did garner criticism in opinion columns, the criticism followed a common theme of being over the nature of an "Invisible Empire." Many of the most outspoken critics, especially in Spokane, were opposed to the Klan mainly on the grounds that the organization sought to impose non-democratic and non-transparent control over law and morals. Such was the case for public criticism against the Klan presence at The Gospel Crusade.

What little criticism the Klan received for its blatant bigotry came from those in the margins. It would be cursory to assume there were few in the Spokane region opposed to the Klan’s doctrine of bigotry based off the lack of evidence in publications. What would be more probable of an explanation would be to conjecture that the majority of those with this view came from more marginalized and thus voiceless communities in the area. One of the few examples of these views were the expressions of Rabbi Julius Leibert of Emanu-El temple in downtown Spokane. Rabbi Leibert ridiculed the Klan and criticized the organization for hiding bigotry under the banner of patriotism.

            With Klan numbers growing in the state, the Washington Klan, under the command of Major Powell began releasing publications such as the newspaper The Watcher on the Tower as well as distributing various pamphlets at Klan events printed out of the incorporated offices in Seattle. According to later Klan reporting, chapters arose around the state with the largest being Seattle and Spokane the Second Largest followed by Walla Walla. While still focusing on increasing membership, the Washington Klan soon turned towards political aims.