Ku Klux Klan (Newaygo County, Mich.) Membership Cards, 1923-1926
Approximately 2 cubic ft. (in 6 boxes)
The Newaygo County Ku Klux Klan membership cards include approximately 2,400 cards, 1923-1926. The cards document 1,200 members, each with two cards, one filed alphabetically, the other numerically. The original organization has been maintained as follows: Men Alphabetical, Men Numerical, Women Alphabetical, and Women Numerical. The alphabetical sets are filed by surname. The numerical sets are filed by an individual’s membership number. The men’s cards include foreign born members. Both men’s and women’s cards have some cards without numbers, apparently recording prospective members who never paid off their initiation fee. The unnumbered men’s cards include several envelopes and two form letters sent to determine the current status of prospective members.
The cards include the following information for each individual: name, age, address, marital status, telephone number, occupation, other organizational memberships, name of recommending member, dues payments, and automobile type. Cards of foreign born members also include church affiliation, place of birth, literacy in English, and citizenship status.
A photocopied set of the collection is available for research use. Additionally, the collection is available on one reel of positive microfilm Acc#40956, MF.Mss6.