Ku Klux Klan. Baton Rouge No. 3.

William J. Simmons, a former Methodist preacher, organized a new Ku Klux Klan in Stone Mountain, Georgia in 1915 as a patriotic, Protestant fraternal society. This new Klan directed its activity against, not just African Americans, but any group it considered un-American, including immigrants, Jews, and Roman Catholics. The Ku Klux Klan grew rapidly having more than two million members by the mid-1920's. Departing from its secrecy, the Klan became a political force, assisting in the election of many public officials throughout the nation. Baton Rouge, along with other communities in Louisiana organized chapters during this time, and in 1928 the KKK, Baton Rouge No. 3 chapter incorporated the Klansmen of the defunct Denham Springs chapter.