The Ku Klux Klan establishes a strong presence in the Pacific Northwest, including Bellingham.
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The Ku Klux Klan’s initial period of activity, as an insurgent terrorist organization in the southern states after the Civil War, was suppressed by the federal government.
The Klan expanded again during a second wave that swept across the country in the 1920s and 30s. This second wave was promoted by a popular 1915 film titled The Birth of a Nation, as well as by paid Klan recruiters.
During this period the Klan grew rapidly. It had 4-5 million members across the country at its peak in the mid 20s. It opposed Blacks, Jews, Catholics, and southern European immigrants.
In Oregon, many Klansmen were elected to local, county, and state government. The Klan also flourished for a time in Washington state, especially during the 1920s. It was particularly strong in Whatcom and Skagit counties and it remained active beyond the 1920s. One of the earlier images of the KKK in Whatcom county is this 1924 photo from a large KKK rally in Lynden:
KKK presence in Whatcom County appears to have been strongest through the 1920s and 1930s, but occasional symbols of the KKK continued to appear for many decades, such as a 1959 cross burning on Sehome Hill and a 1994 cross-burning near Lynden.
For more information, see:
The Strongest Chapter in WA: Bellingham’s KKK