Puzzle? Nope. A “Klavern”

Exposing the KKK in Chicago during the 1920s.

This somewhat cryptic floor plan purportedly shows the outline of a Klavern, or the headquarters of an affiliate of the Ku Klux Klan. It was originally issued as part of the October 14, 1922 edition of Tolerance, the Official Journal of the American Unity League. The publication’s efforts can be inferred by its byline – “Voicing a Protest Against Racial and Religious Discriminations.”

Much of the content in Tolerance is dedicated to publicly exposing the KKK, including its members, rituals, and funding. According to the accompanying commentary, “The above picture of a ‘Klavern’ of Ku Klux headquarters is from the Kloran, or the “sacred” book of the Ku Klux Klan, and was drawn by no less a hand than that of the re-discoverer of the order, William Joseph Simmons. It is supposed not to be seen by “alien” eyes, but here it is anyhow.” The text continues to describe the roles of each official and further details about the Kloran.

Other articles’ headlines include ‘Exposure Halts Klan Growth Here’, “Klux Spy Ordered to kill Ex-Goblin”, “Take It Off! Say Churches to Klan”, and “Change Name, Retain Faults.” Pages 10 and 11 are filled with names of KKK members from Chicago.