Difference between revisions of "Marion In the 1920s"

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==Marion the Queen City ==
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[[Image:Grant_County.jpg‎|thumb|400px|The Grant County Courthouse in the 1930s]]Grant County thrived around the turn of the century. The gas boom of the 1890s brought people to the area. Marion was touting itself as the Queen City in the gas belt (Madison, 2001, p.31). However, by the early 1900s the gas boom was over, yet the area continued to gain in population. Factories and businesses began to form. By the end of 1929 community tension was on the rise related to the stock market crash. Black people competed for the same jobs as white people. The lynching in August of 1930 was influenced by an accumulation of anxiety over lost jobs, a poor economy, and the basic instinct of survival.
 
 
Grant County thrived around the turn of the century. The gas boom of the 1890s brought people to the area. Marion was touting itself as the Queen City in the gas belt (Madison, p.31). However, by the early 1900s the gas boom was over, yet the area continued to gain in population. Factories and businesses began to form. By the end 1929 community tension was on the rise related to the stock market crash. Black people competed for the same jobs as white people. The lynching in August of 1930 was an accumulation of anxiety over lost jobs,
 
a poor economy, and the basic instinct of survival.
 
 
 
==Marion in the 1920s==
 
 
 
[[Image:Marion_Courthouse_West_side.jpg|thumb|300px|Courthouse square in the 1920s]]Marion, Indiana in the 1920s was a small community, a working class town nestled in  the farmland of Grant County. Industry began to shape the landscape of the once Indian dominated territory. Factories of every type, for example, shoe, glass, and foundries to name a few began to spring up drawing newcomers from southern Indiana, Kentucky,
 
and the all black community of Weaver to Marion for work. Marion appeared idealistic and presented a “picture of comfort, prosperity, and progress” (Madison, 2001).  In the mist of this industrial revolution in the heartland, community niches remained tight and exclusive and your reputation was everything.Ask the residents of this small community about life in the 1920’s and one will hear different viewpoints based on the societal factor of race.
 
  
 +
==Marion, the Queen City==
 +
Marion, Indiana in the 1920s was a small community, a working class town nestled in  the farmland of Grant County. Industry began to shape the landscape of the once Native American dominated territory. Factories of every type, for example, shoe, glass, and foundries to name a few began to spring up drawing newcomers from southern Indiana, Kentucky, and the all black community of Weaver to Marion for work. Marion appeared to be a perfect small town and presented a “picture of comfort, prosperity, and progress” (Madison, 2001, p.32).  In the midst of this industrial revolution in the heartland, community niches remained tight and exclusive and your reputation was everything. Ask the residents of this small community about life in the 1920’s and one will hear different viewpoints based on the societal factor of race.
  
 
==Roaring Twenties==
 
==Roaring Twenties==
 
+
The 1920’s, commonly referred to as the “Roaring Twenties”, was a period of cultural liberation with rapidly changing lifestyles, prosperity, and technological advancements. The visual image of flappers in short frilly dresses in a smoke filled jazz room conjures up images of a more progressive society. Gambling, speakeasies, and bootlegged liquor were ever present throughout the city. During prohibition for fourteen years, the manufacturing, sale, and transport of alcohol was illegal. The 18th Amendent went into effective January 1920, but the sheriff did little to nothing to enforce prohibition (Madison, 2001). In December of 1933 the 21st Amendent to the United Sates Constitution made alcohol legal again. Across the landscape of the county one could find home stills and secret saloons, as well as establishments of ill repute. However, the city touted a more wholesome picture.  
The 1920’s commonly referred to as the “Roaring Twenties” was a cultural liberation period with rapidly changing lifestyles, prosperity, and technological advancements. The visual image of Flappers in short frilly dresses in a smoked filled jazz room conjure up images of a more progressive society. Gambling, speakeasies, and bootlegged liquor was ever present throughout the city. During prohibition for fourteen years the manufacturing, sale, and transport of alcohol was illegal. The 18th Amendent went into effective January 1920. The Sheriff did little to nothing to enforce prohibition (Madison, 2001). In December of 1933 the 21st Amendent to the United Sates Constitution made alchol legal again. Across the landscape of the county one could find in home stills and secret saloons, as wellas establishments of ill repute. However, the city touted a more wholesome picture.  
 
  
 
==Marion's Black Population==
 
==Marion's Black Population==
[[Image:Marion-Matter_Park.jpg|thumb|250px|Matter Park]]
+
[[Image:Marion-Matter_Park.jpg|thumb|250px|Matter Park]]In the 1920’s, Marion black population was approximately 5 percent of the total population in the town (Madison, 2001). While the town had a black doctor, shops and a grocery store owned by those of color, the color line within the city was drawn. White citizens lived in North Marion. The town’s swimming pool at the park was off limits to the black residents. By most accounts the city of Marion was segregated if not by literal interpretation certainly by social expectation. While technological progress seemed inevitable, social equality and progress were at a standstill.
In the 1920’s, Marion black population was approximately 5 percent of the total  
 
population in the town (Madison, 2001). While the town had a black doctor, shops and a  
 
grocery store owned by those of color, the color line within the city was drawn. White  
 
citizens lived in North Marion. The town’s swimming pool at the park was off limits to the  
 
black residents. By most accounts the city of Marion was segregated if not be literal
 
interpretation certainly by social expectation. While technological progress seemed
 
inevitable, social equality and progress was at a standstill.
 
  
 
==The Klan==
 
==The Klan==
 
+
In the book "Women of the Klan", the author (Blee) described Indiana as one of the most “racially, culturally, and religiously homogeneous states” (p.7, 1991). The Klan although hidden beneath a sheet to the outside community was ever present in the community. Most white people personally knew of or had a family member involved with the Klu Klux Klan, including elected officials such as the sheriff. While slavery had been abolished for years, nonetheless black people were still treated as disposable. When wrongdoings such as robberies and shootings occurred the black man was customarily accused and railroaded into a convection or a crime he may not have committed based solely on the color of his skin. As Carr (2006) so poetically described in her book, “Racism will always manifest in violent ways to preserve itself” (p. 153).
In the book Women of the Klan, the author’s (Blee) described Indiana as one of the  
 
most “racially, culturally, and religiously homogeneous states” (p.7, 1991). The
 
Klan although hid beneath a sheet to the outside community was ever present in  
 
the community most white people personally knew of or had a family member involved with  
 
the Klu Klux Klan, including elected officials such as the Sheriff. While slavery had been  
 
abolished for years, nonetheless black people were still treated as disposable. When  
 
wrongdoings such as robberies and shootings occurred the black man was customarily accused  
 
and railroaded into a convection or a crime he may not have commitmentted based solely on the color of his skin. As Carr (2006) so poetically described in  
 
her book, “Racism will always manifest in violent ways to preserve itself” (p. 153).
 
  
 
==The Culture of the Time==
 
==The Culture of the Time==
[[Image:Lovers_Lane.jpg|thumb|300px|Lovers Lane]]
+
[[Image:Lovers_Lane.jpg|thumb|300px|[[Lover's Lane]]]]The advent of Ford’s Model T cars made owning a car more affordable. Cars brought an easy of mobility to travel. Many Americans selected the cost efficient, free will choice of travelling by automobile (Scott, 2011). Young couples in Marion looking to get away from their families began flocking to a remote area commonly referred to as “Lovers Lane.” Lover hot spots such as this were typically remote areas that cars could easily get into and out of quickly. Unfortunately, love was not always in the minds of those venturing to “Lovers Lane”. Occasionally, petty thieves would prey on the lovestruck, naive visitors. Marion elected a new mayor in 1929. Mayor Edwards seem to overlook the fifteen to twenty "blind tigers" and "blind pigs". Which were establishments that illegally sold alcohol as well as speakeasies and roadhouses in Marion (Madison, 2001). In Madison’s book, Edwards confessed he frequented some of these establishments. Immortality seemed pervasive throughout the county while law enforcement appeared unconcerned with stopping prostitution, gambling, or prohibition laws. The high life of the 1920s abruptly came to a halt in 1929 when the stock market crashed. Black Tuesday, as it is known, was a worldwide downturn in the economy.The banking system failed and unemployment was widespread.
The advent of Ford’s Model T cars made owning a car more affordable. Cars brought an  
 
easy of mobility to travel. Many Americans selected the cost efficient, free will choice of  
 
travelling by automobile (Scott, 2011). Young couples looking to get away from their  
 
families began flocking to remote areas commonly referred to as “Lovers Lane.” These
 
lover hot spots were typical remote areas that cars could easily get into and out of quickly.  
 
Unfortunately, love was not always in the minds of those venturing to “Lovers Lane”
 
(Carr, 2006). Occasionally, petty thieves would prey on the lovestruck, naive visitors by
 
stealing money.
 
Marion elected a new mayor in 1929. Mayor Edwards seem to overlook the fifteen to  
 
twenty "blind tigers" and "blind pigs". Which are establishments that illegally sell alcohol as well as speakeasies and roadhouses in Marion (Madison, 2001). In Madison’s book, Edwards  
 
confessed he frequented some of these establishments. Immortality seemed pervasive  
 
throughout the county while law enforcement appeared unconcerned with enforcing prostitution, gambling, or prohibition laws. The high life of the 1920s abruptly came to a haltin 1929 when the stock market crashed. Black Tuesday as it is known was a worldwide downturn in the economy.The banking system failed and unemployment was widespread.
 
  
 
==Unemployment==
 
==Unemployment==
[[Image:Marion-Factory_Malleable.jpg|thumb|300px]Malleable Factory Wokers from Marion]
+
[[Image:Marion-Factory_Malleable.jpg|thumb|300px|Malleable Factory Workers from Marion]]Unemployment went from virtually zero in August in 1929 to 25% by August of 1932 as noted in the graph below.  
 
 
Unemployment went from  
 
virtually zero in August in 1929 to 25% by August of 1932 as noted in the graph below.  
 
  
 
[[Image:Unemployment_rate.jpg]]
 
[[Image:Unemployment_rate.jpg]]
Line 61: Line 23:
 
(http://int.danville.k12.pa.us/teacherweb/aberkey/US_History/Effects_of_the_Great_Depression.html).
 
(http://int.danville.k12.pa.us/teacherweb/aberkey/US_History/Effects_of_the_Great_Depression.html).
  
Abled body workers went from factory to factory looking for work and no work was to be  
+
Able bodied workers went from factory to factory looking for work but no work was to be found. Wages were lowered and many citizens lost their farms and homes. Families did not have enough food to feed everyone in the family. Food lines became a way of life. Soup kitchens were at maximum capacity during meal time. Many men became peddlers, selling trinkets and working for food. Shantytowns were made of scavenged materials and popped up throughout the country (Kennedy, Cohen, & Bailey, 2008).  People were affected financially and psychologically as joblessness caused helplessness and self-doubt (Weiser, 2003). The Great Depression brought progress to a halt. Marion was being redefined. However, while many citizens struggled to survive, a glimmer of hope shined through in those bleak days. A sense of community developed within the neighborhoods and churches.
found. Wages were lowered, Many citizens lost their farms and homes. Families did not  
 
have enough food to feedeveryone in the family. Food lines became a way of life. Soup  
 
kitchens were at capacity during meal time. Many men became peddlers selling trinkets  
 
and working for food.Shantytowns were made of scavenged materials popped up  
 
throughout the country (Kennedy, Cohen, & Bailey, 2008).  People were affected financially  
 
and psychologically as joblessness caused helplessness and self-doubt (Weiser, 2003).  
 
The depression brought progress to a halt. Marion was being redefined.While many  
 
citizens struggled to survive, a glimmer of hope shined through in these bleak days. A  
 
sense of community developed within the neighborhoods and churches.
 
 
 
==A Community Defined==
 
 
 
Marion, Indiana in the 1920’s was a small community burrowed in the Northern part of
 
Indiana. The true identity of the people, places, and activities would be dormant until the
 
lynching in 1930. A community who’s destiny was yet to be determined but would forever
 
be defined. A community without boundaries, but a community with color lines.  A
 
community with an early black settlement called Weaver but with a secret inner circle
 
controlled by the Klu Klux Klan. The depression presented financial hardships for many in
 
this small community. Many retreated to the self-medicating properties of bootlegged liquor
 
as others strived for a better life with gainful employment in a factory. A simple time, a
 
simple way of life nonetheless a multifaceted community with a rich history and a diverse
 
background.
 
 
 
==Credits==
 
 
 
This paper was written by Allison Richardson for Mr. Munn's IU ACP history class at Marion High School during May 2011.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
 +
==KKK==
 +
In the history of Marion there has been a record of several groups with possible involvement with the infamous lynchings. The Ku Klux Klan was a suspected group for influence. The Horsethief Detectives were another group that may have had a hand in the Lynchings.
  
 +
[[Image:Junior_Mechanics.jpg|thumb|300px|Oath for the Junior Order of American Mechanics]] The Klan is one of the most notorious groups known in the United States, especially since they were against Catholics, Jews, Native Americans, and African Americans. Their main weapons were fear, numbers, and political powers. Sheriff Campbell had been rumored to have been a member of the Klan during the '20s. This could explain his allowing the mob to enter and take the prisoners to their deaths. But does this mean the KKK had committed the lynching? No, at least not physically, for the majority of the oraganization had collasped in the late '20s and they were a small group. Yet their proclamations from their days of power could have influenced the crowd that night (Madison 2001).
  
 +
==The Horsethief Detectives==
 +
Several other groups had association with the KKK. One of them was known as the Junior Order of American Mechanics which was one of the public masks of the KKK (Betty Reynolds, personal communication). A second group known as the Horsethief Detective Association may have been in league with the KKK. Since the police and sheriffs did not have the permission to do their job beyond the borders of their county these "detectives" were banded together as a group with the power to do just this. They would track down horse thieves since those creatures were the best means of transportation that most people could afford. They had been seen at many of their picnics, and they were used as a tool to enforce the wishes of the Klan (Betty Reynolds, personal communication).
  
 +
==A Community Defined==
 +
Marion, Indiana in the 1920’s was a small community burrowed in the northern part of Indiana. The true identity of the people, places, and activities would be dormant until the lynching in 1930. A community whoes destiny was yet to be determined but would forever be defined. A community without boundaries, but a community with color lines.  A community with an early black settlement called Weaver but with a secret inner circle controlled by the Klu Klux Klan. The Great Depression presented financial hardships for many in this small community. Many retreated to the self-medicating properties of bootlegged liquor as others strived for a better life with gainful employment in a factory. A simple time, a simple way of life-nonetheless a multifaceted community with a rich history and a diverse background.
  
 +
==Credits==
  
 +
This paper was written by Allison Richardson for Mr. Munn's IU ACP history class at Marion High School during May 2011. The sections on the KKK and the Horsethief Detectives were written by Christofer Morton.
  
References
+
==References==
 
*Blee, K. M. (1991). Women of the Klan: Racism and Gender in 1920s. Berkeley: University of California Press.
 
*Blee, K. M. (1991). Women of the Klan: Racism and Gender in 1920s. Berkeley: University of California Press.
 
*Carr, C. (2006).Our Town: A Heartland Lynching, a Haunted Town, and the Hidden History of White America. New York: Three Rivers Press.
 
*Carr, C. (2006).Our Town: A Heartland Lynching, a Haunted Town, and the Hidden History of White America. New York: Three Rivers Press.
Line 106: Line 46:
 
*Madison, J. H. (2001). A Lynching in the Heartland: Race and Memory in America. New York: Palgrave MacMillan.
 
*Madison, J. H. (2001). A Lynching in the Heartland: Race and Memory in America. New York: Palgrave MacMillan.
 
*Scott, R. (2011). The Roaring Twenties: A Historical Snapshot of Life in the 1920’s. Retrieved from http://www.1920-30.com.
 
*Scott, R. (2011). The Roaring Twenties: A Historical Snapshot of Life in the 1920’s. Retrieved from http://www.1920-30.com.
*Smith, C. (Writer) &Smith, C. (Director). (2011). The Gospel According to James.(Play). Indianapolis:  Indiana Repertory Theatre.  
+
*Smith, C. (Writer) & Smith, C. (Director). (2011). The Gospel According to James.(Play). Indianapolis:  Indiana Repertory Theatre.  
 
*Weiser, K (2003). Legends of America.Retrieved from http://www.LegendsofAmerica.com.
 
*Weiser, K (2003). Legends of America.Retrieved from http://www.LegendsofAmerica.com.

Latest revision as of 13:54, 21 August 2011

The Grant County Courthouse in the 1930s
Grant County thrived around the turn of the century. The gas boom of the 1890s brought people to the area. Marion was touting itself as the Queen City in the gas belt (Madison, 2001, p.31). However, by the early 1900s the gas boom was over, yet the area continued to gain in population. Factories and businesses began to form. By the end of 1929 community tension was on the rise related to the stock market crash. Black people competed for the same jobs as white people. The lynching in August of 1930 was influenced by an accumulation of anxiety over lost jobs, a poor economy, and the basic instinct of survival.

Marion, the Queen City

Marion, Indiana in the 1920s was a small community, a working class town nestled in the farmland of Grant County. Industry began to shape the landscape of the once Native American dominated territory. Factories of every type, for example, shoe, glass, and foundries to name a few began to spring up drawing newcomers from southern Indiana, Kentucky, and the all black community of Weaver to Marion for work. Marion appeared to be a perfect small town and presented a “picture of comfort, prosperity, and progress” (Madison, 2001, p.32). In the midst of this industrial revolution in the heartland, community niches remained tight and exclusive and your reputation was everything. Ask the residents of this small community about life in the 1920’s and one will hear different viewpoints based on the societal factor of race.

Roaring Twenties

The 1920’s, commonly referred to as the “Roaring Twenties”, was a period of cultural liberation with rapidly changing lifestyles, prosperity, and technological advancements. The visual image of flappers in short frilly dresses in a smoke filled jazz room conjures up images of a more progressive society. Gambling, speakeasies, and bootlegged liquor were ever present throughout the city. During prohibition for fourteen years, the manufacturing, sale, and transport of alcohol was illegal. The 18th Amendent went into effective January 1920, but the sheriff did little to nothing to enforce prohibition (Madison, 2001). In December of 1933 the 21st Amendent to the United Sates Constitution made alcohol legal again. Across the landscape of the county one could find home stills and secret saloons, as well as establishments of ill repute. However, the city touted a more wholesome picture.

Marion's Black Population

Matter Park
In the 1920’s, Marion black population was approximately 5 percent of the total population in the town (Madison, 2001). While the town had a black doctor, shops and a grocery store owned by those of color, the color line within the city was drawn. White citizens lived in North Marion. The town’s swimming pool at the park was off limits to the black residents. By most accounts the city of Marion was segregated if not by literal interpretation certainly by social expectation. While technological progress seemed inevitable, social equality and progress were at a standstill.

The Klan

In the book "Women of the Klan", the author (Blee) described Indiana as one of the most “racially, culturally, and religiously homogeneous states” (p.7, 1991). The Klan although hidden beneath a sheet to the outside community was ever present in the community. Most white people personally knew of or had a family member involved with the Klu Klux Klan, including elected officials such as the sheriff. While slavery had been abolished for years, nonetheless black people were still treated as disposable. When wrongdoings such as robberies and shootings occurred the black man was customarily accused and railroaded into a convection or a crime he may not have committed based solely on the color of his skin. As Carr (2006) so poetically described in her book, “Racism will always manifest in violent ways to preserve itself” (p. 153).

The Culture of the Time

The advent of Ford’s Model T cars made owning a car more affordable. Cars brought an easy of mobility to travel. Many Americans selected the cost efficient, free will choice of travelling by automobile (Scott, 2011). Young couples in Marion looking to get away from their families began flocking to a remote area commonly referred to as “Lovers Lane.” Lover hot spots such as this were typically remote areas that cars could easily get into and out of quickly. Unfortunately, love was not always in the minds of those venturing to “Lovers Lane”. Occasionally, petty thieves would prey on the lovestruck, naive visitors. Marion elected a new mayor in 1929. Mayor Edwards seem to overlook the fifteen to twenty "blind tigers" and "blind pigs". Which were establishments that illegally sold alcohol as well as speakeasies and roadhouses in Marion (Madison, 2001). In Madison’s book, Edwards confessed he frequented some of these establishments. Immortality seemed pervasive throughout the county while law enforcement appeared unconcerned with stopping prostitution, gambling, or prohibition laws. The high life of the 1920s abruptly came to a halt in 1929 when the stock market crashed. Black Tuesday, as it is known, was a worldwide downturn in the economy.The banking system failed and unemployment was widespread.

Unemployment

Malleable Factory Workers from Marion
Unemployment went from virtually zero in August in 1929 to 25% by August of 1932 as noted in the graph below.

Unemployment rate.jpg

(http://int.danville.k12.pa.us/teacherweb/aberkey/US_History/Effects_of_the_Great_Depression.html).

Able bodied workers went from factory to factory looking for work but no work was to be found. Wages were lowered and many citizens lost their farms and homes. Families did not have enough food to feed everyone in the family. Food lines became a way of life. Soup kitchens were at maximum capacity during meal time. Many men became peddlers, selling trinkets and working for food. Shantytowns were made of scavenged materials and popped up throughout the country (Kennedy, Cohen, & Bailey, 2008). People were affected financially and psychologically as joblessness caused helplessness and self-doubt (Weiser, 2003). The Great Depression brought progress to a halt. Marion was being redefined. However, while many citizens struggled to survive, a glimmer of hope shined through in those bleak days. A sense of community developed within the neighborhoods and churches.

KKK

In the history of Marion there has been a record of several groups with possible involvement with the infamous lynchings. The Ku Klux Klan was a suspected group for influence. The Horsethief Detectives were another group that may have had a hand in the Lynchings.

Oath for the Junior Order of American Mechanics
The Klan is one of the most notorious groups known in the United States, especially since they were against Catholics, Jews, Native Americans, and African Americans. Their main weapons were fear, numbers, and political powers. Sheriff Campbell had been rumored to have been a member of the Klan during the '20s. This could explain his allowing the mob to enter and take the prisoners to their deaths. But does this mean the KKK had committed the lynching? No, at least not physically, for the majority of the oraganization had collasped in the late '20s and they were a small group. Yet their proclamations from their days of power could have influenced the crowd that night (Madison 2001).

The Horsethief Detectives

Several other groups had association with the KKK. One of them was known as the Junior Order of American Mechanics which was one of the public masks of the KKK (Betty Reynolds, personal communication). A second group known as the Horsethief Detective Association may have been in league with the KKK. Since the police and sheriffs did not have the permission to do their job beyond the borders of their county these "detectives" were banded together as a group with the power to do just this. They would track down horse thieves since those creatures were the best means of transportation that most people could afford. They had been seen at many of their picnics, and they were used as a tool to enforce the wishes of the Klan (Betty Reynolds, personal communication).

A Community Defined

Marion, Indiana in the 1920’s was a small community burrowed in the northern part of Indiana. The true identity of the people, places, and activities would be dormant until the lynching in 1930. A community whoes destiny was yet to be determined but would forever be defined. A community without boundaries, but a community with color lines. A community with an early black settlement called Weaver but with a secret inner circle controlled by the Klu Klux Klan. The Great Depression presented financial hardships for many in this small community. Many retreated to the self-medicating properties of bootlegged liquor as others strived for a better life with gainful employment in a factory. A simple time, a simple way of life-nonetheless a multifaceted community with a rich history and a diverse background.

Credits

This paper was written by Allison Richardson for Mr. Munn's IU ACP history class at Marion High School during May 2011. The sections on the KKK and the Horsethief Detectives were written by Christofer Morton.

References

  • Blee, K. M. (1991). Women of the Klan: Racism and Gender in 1920s. Berkeley: University of California Press.
  • Carr, C. (2006).Our Town: A Heartland Lynching, a Haunted Town, and the Hidden History of White America. New York: Three Rivers Press.
  • Kennedy, D. M., Cohen, L., & Bailey, T. (2008). American Pageant (14th ed.). Boston: Wadsworth Cengage Learning.
  • Madison, J. H. (2001). A Lynching in the Heartland: Race and Memory in America. New York: Palgrave MacMillan.
  • Scott, R. (2011). The Roaring Twenties: A Historical Snapshot of Life in the 1920’s. Retrieved from http://www.1920-30.com.
  • Smith, C. (Writer) & Smith, C. (Director). (2011). The Gospel According to James.(Play). Indianapolis: Indiana Repertory Theatre.
  • Weiser, K (2003). Legends of America.Retrieved from http://www.LegendsofAmerica.com.