USA > Louisiana > Louisiana; comprising sketches of counties, towns, events, institutions, and persons, Volume I > Part 79
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establishment), with a guard of four companies of infantry. On June 29, 1763, D'Abbadie arrived at New Orleans in the capacity of director of the factory and commandant of the troops, and Kerlerec thereupon returned to Paris, where he was thrown into the Bastile upon charges of usurpation and extravagance. He subsequently re- gained his liberty and died in the year 1770.
Kilbourne, a village and station of West Carroll parish, is situ- ated on the St. Louis, Iron Mountain & Southern R. R., about 2 miles south of the state line and 2 miles north of Floyd, the parish seat. It has a money order postoffice, is the trading center of a large tract of country, and in 1900 had a population of 75.
Killian, a post-hamlet in the southeastern part of Livingston parish, is situated on the Tickfaw river, about 4 miles southwest of Springfield, the nearest railroad station.
Killona, a village of St. Charles parish, is in the northwestern part on the Texas & Pacific R. R., 5 miles west of Hahnville, the parish seat. It is located in a rich truck farming district, has sugar industries, a money order postoffice. express office, telegraph sta- tion and telephone facilities, and in 1900 had a population of 250.
Kinder, a village in the eastern part of Calcasieu parisli, is situ- ated at the junction of the Colorado Southern and the St. Louis, Watkins & Gulf railroads, about 30 miles by rail northeast of Lake Charles, the parish seat. It is the center of trade for a large area and in 1900, had a population of 200. It has a money order post- office, express office, telegraph station and some wood-working factories.
King, a post-village in the southeastern part of Madison parish, is located on Boundaway bayou, about 10 miles southeast of Tul- lulah, the parish seat, and in 1900 reported a population of 75. Quimby and Alligator bayou, on the St. Louis, Iron Mountain & Southern R. R., are the nearest railroad stations.
King, Grace Elizabeth, author, was born in New Orleans, La., Nov. 29, 1859, the daughter of William Woodsen and Sarah Ann (Miller) King. Her father was one of the noted jurists of New Orleans and prominent in the social and political life of that city be- fore the Civil war. She was born and reared in a semi-French ยท population, as part of her life was spent on her father's plantation in St. Martin parish. She was educated in the public schools of her native city. and by tutors. At an early age she began to describe New Orleans in stories and historical sketches. Her literary work first received attention in the New Princeton Review, and became the basis for the novel. Monsieur Motte (1888). She has a re- markable sympathy and understanding of the French culture of New Orleans which she has portrayed in her books. Her aim has been to show the different phases of woman's character developed in Louisiana by the intermixture of races, slavery and the sudden plunge of the aristocratic families into poverty by the Civil war. Some of her more recent works include "Tales of Time and Place," "Earthlings." "New Orleans, the Place and the People," "Jean Baptiste Lemoyne, Founder of New Orleans," "Balcony Stories,"
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"DeSoto and Ilis Men in the Land of Florida." She has pursued original research and collaborated in a school history of Louisiana.
King, J. Floyd, soldier, lawyer and planter, was born in Monti- cello, near the town of St. Mary's, Ga., April 20, 1842. He attended the Russell school. New Haven, Conn .; Bartlett's College Hill school, Poughkeepsie. N. Y., and the military institute of Georgia ; pre- pared for West Point, but was sent to the University of Virginia ; enlisted in the Confederate army; served in the Army of Virginia ; was promoted by various grades to the rank of colonel of artillery. At the close of the war, his property having been confiscated, hie located in Louisiana, where he became interested in planting. After settling in Louisiana he studied law; was appointed brigadier- general of the state troops; was elected inspector of levees and president of the board of school directors of his district, and also a trustee of the University of the South. In 1878 he was elected to the 46th Congress as a Democrat, and was reelected to the 47th, 48th and 49th Congresses.
Kingston, a money order post-village in the northern part of DeSoto parish, is on the Kansas City Southern R. R., about 11 miles north of Mansfield, the parish seat. It is an old settlement, as a postoffice was established here as early as 1854. Since the railroad was built it has become the supply point for a considerable farming and lumber district. The population in 1900 was 71.
Kipling, a post-hamlet in the north-central part of Calcasieu parish, is situated on Bundick creek, about 5 miles northeast of Lilly, the nearest railroad station.
. Kirks Ferry, a post-hamlet of Catahoula parish, is situated on the Tensas river in the extreme northeastern part of the parish, about 3 miles north of Wells Lake, the nearest railroad station.
Kisatchie, a post-hamlet in the southwestern part of Natchitoches parish, is situated on Devil creek, about 6 miles northwest of Jergu- son, the nearest railroad station.
Kleinwood, a post-hamlet and station in the eastern part of Avoyelles parish, is on the line of the Louisiana Railway & Navi- gation company, about 20 miles southeast of Marksville, the parish seat. Its population in 1900 was 65.
Klotzville, a post-village of Assumption parish, is located on the . Bayou Lafourche, 2 miles east of Star, the nearest railroad station, and 6 miles north of Napoelonville, the parish seat. It is located in the sugar region and in 1900 had a population of 150.
Knights of Columbus .- (See Catholic Societies.)
Knights of Honor .- The fraternal organization known by this name was introduced into Louisiana on July 8, 1881, when Alpha Lodge, No. 2501. was instituted at Shreveport. On the 25th of the same month Pelican Lodge, No. 2511. was organized at New Or- leans. By Sept. 15. 1881. there were 24 lodges in the state, and on that date representatives of these lodges, assisted by a delegation from Galveston. Tex., assembled in the city of New Orleans for ' the purpose of organizing a grand lodge for the state. Otis Harris was elected past grand dictator; George Soule, grand dictator; P.
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W. Sherwood, grand recorder ; and E. W. Thomas, grand treasurer. During the next ten years the order had a steady growth, but in more recent years the membership has fallen off somewhat, though the society is still in a healthy condition, the number of lodges reported in the spring of 1909 being 68, with a total membership of 2.335. Some lodges give relief in the way of sick benefits, but all death benefits are paid by the supreme lodge at St. Louis, Mo. During yellow fever epidemics, etc., the order has dispensed large sums of money in giving relief. not only to its own members and their families, but also to sufferers ontside of the organization, the society proceeding on the principal that charity should not be con- fined to any society or creed.
Knights of Pythias .- The order of the Knights of Pythias was founded at Washington, D. C., on Feb. 19, 1864, by Justus H. Rathbone. It had its conception in the exemplification of the test of genuine friendship as portrayed in the lives of Damon and Pythias, and its motto is "Friendship, Charity and Benevolence." The history of the order in Louisiana really dates from April 10, 1876, when a charter was granted to Orleans Lodge, No. 1. Some previous attempts had been made to introduce Pythianism into the state during the days of reconstruction, but they were not success- ful. Four days after the institution of Orleans Lodge. Damon Lodge, No. 2, was instituted at Shreveport. For a time the growth of the order was comparatively slow, but by the spring of 1880 there were 16 lodges in the state, to wit : Orleans, No. 1. at New Orleans ; Damon, No. 2, at Shreveport ; Algiers, No. 3, at Algiers; Webster, No. 4. at Minden ; Bossier. No. 5, at Redland (subsequently re- moved to Plain Dealing) ; Royal Arch, No. 6, at New Orleans; Delta, No. 7, at Delta ; Stonewall, No. 8, at Monroe ; Samaritan, No. 9, at New Orleans ; Calanthe, No. 10, at Shreveport : Ezilda, No. 11, at Milliken's Bend ; C. R. Balfour, No. 12, at Rayville ; Friendship, No. 13, at Bellevue ; Eureka, No. 14, at Delhi ; Bayou Sara, No. 15, at St. Francisville: Germania (now Paragon), No. 16, at New Or- leans. All these lodges except Delta and Friendship are still in ex- istence. On May 6, 1880. delegates from these 16 lodges met in the castle hall of Stonewall Lodge at Monroe, at which time and place Supreme Chancellor D. B. Woodruff instituted the Grand Lodge of the State of Louisiana. Since the organization of the grand lodge the growth of the order has been more rapid, and in the spring of 1909 there were in the state 131 active lodges with a membership of 7,200.
In addition to the regular lodge work of the order, there are ummi- form and endowment ranks. The former is what its name implies, the members being uniformed and well drilled in Pythian tactics adding much to the impressiveness of the ceremonies of the order, especially on public occasions. The endowment rank offers miem- bers of the order an opportunity to carry fraternal insurance in amounts ranging from $500 to $3,000. There is also an auxiliary society or degree known as the "Rathbone Sisters," to which the wives, sisters and daughters of Knights are eligible. In May, 1909,
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John A. McLean. Grand Keeper of the Records and Seal, reported all branches of the order in a flourishing condition throughout the state. with good prospects for the future.
Knights of the White Camelia .- (See Ku Klux Klan.)
Knowles, a money order postoffice in the northwestern part of Lincoln parish, is a station on the D'Arbonne Valley R. R., about 10 miles northwest of Ruston, the parish seat. It is in the heart of a lumber district, and is a shipping point of some consequence.
Know Nothings .- This was a secret political organization, the fundamental principle of which was opposition to the admission of foreigners to full citizenship until after a residence of 21 years in the United States. As early as 1835 an effort was made in New York to crystallize the sentiment opposed to the naturalization of foreigners upon a short residence in this country, but nothing came of it. In 1843 the field of activity was transferred to New Jersey and Pennsylvania, where the cause gained sufficient headway by 1852 to justify the establishment of a national organization. The order received its name from the fact that when any one of its mem- bers was asked to explain the purposes the universal answer was "I don't know." In a short time the order gained prominence all over the country, especially in the Southern states, and it then as rapidly declined. At a convention of the order, held at New York in 1855, the following declaration of principles was enunciated : "The American shall rule America; the union of these states; no north, no south. no east, no west; the United States of America, as they are, one and inseparable : no sectarian interferences in our legislation, or in the administration of American law ; hostility to the assumption of the pope, through the bishops, etc., in a republic sanctified by Protestant blood ; thorough reform in the naturalization laws (requiring 21 years residence of all foreigners previous to voting) ; free and liberal educational institutions for all sorts and classes, with the Bible as a universal text-book."
Another convention of the order was held in Philadelphia the same year. Gayarre says that Louisiana sent 6 delegates to this convention, 5 of whom were Protestants and I was a Catholic. The former were readily granted admission, but the latter was rejected unless he would agree to make certain concessions that no self-re- specting man could make, whereupon the 5 Protestant delegates refused to enter the convention without their Catholic colleague. The whole delegation then returned to New Orleans, where an in- mense mass meeting was held. and the Louisiana Know Nothings refused further affiliation with the party of that name in other states. In 1856 the larger part of the Know Nothing order united with the Republican party in the nomination of John C. Fremont for the presidency. The minority, under the name of the "American party," nominated Millard Fillmore. Most of the Louisiana histori- ans agree that this date marks the decline of the Know Nothing party in the state, but Thompson, in his Story of Louisiana (p. 255) says: "The excitement, for several years systematically worked up at each election in Louisiana against foreigners, culminated finally
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in 1858 and for a few days a battle was every moment expected at New Orleans. Five hundred men armed to the teeth and acting under direction of a vigilance committee seized the courthouse in the city and also took possession of the state arsenal at Jackson Square. This was on the 4th of June, three days before the time set for the city election. On the following day reinforcements amount- ing to 1,000 armed men joined them. They fortified their positions and erected strong barricades across the streets. On the other hand the Know Nothings occupied Lafayette Square with a strong force and a battery of cannon. Actual collision was avoided, however, and by dint of much parleying peace was restored in time to insure a quiet election, the Know Nothings electing the mayor."
Koran, a village of Bossier parisli, is situated in the southeastern part on Clarks bayou, 6 miles south of Allentown, the nearest rail- road station. It has a money_order postoffice and is a trading center for the neighborhood.
Kraemer, a post-village in the northern part of Lafourche parish, is a station on the Bowie, Lafourche & Northwestern R. R., which connects with the Southern Pacific at Bowie. It is in the "sugar belt," is surrounded by fine plantations, and is a shipping point of considerable importance. The population in 1900 was 50.
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Ku Klux Klan .- For some years after the final surrender of the Confederate armies in 1865, the government of the Southern states was entrusted to men appointed by the national administration and backed up by the military power. Unfortunately the men thus ap- pointed were too often actuated by motives of self-aggrandizement and sought to perpetuate their power by enlisting the unqualified support of the recently emancipated negroes. To this end a society of negroes and others was formed under the name of the Union League (q. v.), and, as frequently happens in such cases, some of the more enthusiastic members of this organization soon began to boast of their power, and assuming that "Liberty meant license" com- menced to commit petty depredations which portended serious dis- orders. This condition of affairs so far threatened the peace and good order of the South that the better class of white citizens formed local associations, each independent of the other, but all having the same object in view. Some of these local societies were the "Knights of the White Camelia," the "White Brotherhood," the "Pale Faces," the "Invisible Circle." the "Constitutional Union Guards," the "Invisible Empire." and in Alabama there was a secret organization known as the "Black Cavalry." In Louisiana the Knights of the White Camelia were known also as the Caucasion Club, which asserted the superiority of the white race over the ne- gro. In 1874 the club threw off the cloak of secrecy and openly organized as the "White League." (q. v.)
The Ku Klux proper had its origin in the efforts of some young . men at Pulaski, Tenn .. in May, 1866, to form a secret society. Among the names suggested was Kuklux, from the Greek word kuklos (circle), and the word klan was added to carry out the al- literation. The whole idea was based on the mysteries of college
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fraternities. By-laws and a ritual were adopted; the officers were the grand cyclops, the grand magi. the grand Turk, etc .; and the lodge or meeting place was called the den. Absolute secrecy was the corner-stone, and to increase the mystery the solicitation of members was prohibited. Each member was required to provide himself with a fantastic robe and a white mask, underneath which was a cardboard extension to increase the apparent height of the wearer. The newspapers gave the klan considerable attention, with the result that applications soon came flowing in for the organiza- tion of other dens, and the klan spread rapidly over the South. The Pulaski den met in a partly ruined house on the outskirts of the town, and when some chance passerby happened to meet one of the disguised sentinels and asked who he was, the reply would come in sepulchral tones: "A spirit from the other world. I was killed at Chickamauga." These challenges and replies, the uncanny noises emanating from the meetings, the air of mystery surrounding the . organization, struck terror to the hearts of the ignorant, super- stitious negroes, and "even the most highly cultured were not able wholly to resist the weird and peculiar feeling which pervaded every community where the Ku Klux appeared."
In May, 1867, about two months after the passage of the recon- struction act, the grand cyclops of the Pulaski den called a conven- tion of the klan at Nashville, and a general reorganization was ef- fected. The region covered by the klan was designated the Invisible Empire; the states were realms. the Congressional districts were dominions, and the counties were provinces. Officers were pro- vided for each as follows: For the empire, the grand wizard with his staff of 10 genii, with autocratic power; for the realm, the grand dragon and his 8 hydras : for the dominion, the grand Titan and his 6 furies ; for the province, the grand giant and his 4 goblins, and for his den the grand cyclops and his 2 night-hawks. "The body politic shall be known and designated as ghouls." The grand . councils of Yahoos and Centaurs were the tribunals. Candidates for membership were to be asked if they belonged to the Repub- lican party, the Loyal League, the Grand Army of the Republic or - the Federal army ; if they were opposed to negro equality, both social and political ; if they were in favor of a white man's govern- ment, constitutional liberty and a government of equitable laws, instead of a government of violence and oppression ; if they were in favor of maintaining the constitutional rights of the South, the restitution of the white men of the South to all their rights, and the inalienable right of self-preservation of the people against the exercise of arbitrary and unlicensed power.
The organization soon absorbed most of the different local so- cieties. There is no doubt that the intentions of the members of the original klan were conservative of the public good. It was organized as a measure of defense. Avery, in his History of Georgia, says it was "the perilous effect of which the Loyal League was the un- healthy cause." Its weapon was mystery. Knowing the ignorance and superstition of the negroes, the klan sought to awe them into
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good behavior by appealing to their dread of the supernatural and without resort to physical violence. Clad in white. to represent the ghosts of the Confederate dead, the Ku Klux rode silently through the villages and the country at night. usually one behind the other some yards apart, often traversing in a single night a large section inhabited by the negro population. This simple procedure produced a most wholesome effect and averted very serious domestic trouble. But in the course of time there were reckless parties, frequently acting independent of the klan, who committed outrages in its name. Fleming, in his History of Reconstruction in Alabama, says : "The Ku Klux movement was an understanding among Southern whites, brought about by the chaotic condition of social and polit- ical institutions between 1865 and 1876. It resulted in a partial de- struction of reconstruction and a return, as near as might be, to ante-bellum conditions. This understanding or state of mind took many forms and was called by many names. The purpose was everywhere and always the same: to recover for the white race control of society, and destroy the baneful influence of the alien among the blacks."
When the order was reorganized in May, 1867, Gen. Nathan B. . Forrest became grand wizard. The klan was formally disbanded by his order in the spring of 1869, though some of the dens continued in existence independently until about 1876. In March, 1871, President Grant called the attention of Congress to the outrages said to have been committed by the klan, and in April the enforce- ment act was passed, which extended the jurisdiction of the Federal courts to cases of this character. The habeas corpus was suspended in parts of South Carolina and Arkansas, and a committee was ap- pointed by Congress to investigate the outrages and the scope of the klan. The testimony before this committee showed that the organization extended from Virginia to Mississippi. It seldom ex- tended into the black belt. where the Knights of the White Camelia held sway. The reports of the Congressional investigation fill twelve large volumes, and if the klan began to wane in power from that time it was not so much due to the investigation as to the order of Gen. Forrest the year before, and because the right of local self-government was restored to the people of the Southern states, which gave them the power to check the lawlessness of the times without having to resort to the medium of secret societies.
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