Ku Klux Klan march, Milo, 1923Item 23229 info Island Falls
Historical Society The Ku Klux Klan in Maine in the 1920s grew
under the charismatic leadership of F. Eugene Farnsworth, who
toured the state appealing for better government and stronger
adherence to patriotism, Protestant values, white supremacy, the
Bible, and Holy Scripture. Specifically, the Klan warned against
Catholic teachers and school board representatives in public
schools because they fomented anti-Americanism. A recurring
message was that Catholics owed their loyalty to the Pope and
therefore could not be loyal American citizens. The Klan avoided
the public violence and intimidation that characterized its
behavior elsewhere and concentrated on fraternal rites, parades,
and political campaigning, finding a constituency among Maine’s
“dry” voters and those uneasy about new “foreign-born” members
of their own communities. It was adept at using existing
organizations – businessmen’s and fraternal groups and even
churches – to further its polit