The mascot for this legendary column, at right, isn't taken from the archives of the Orange County Ku Klux Klan but rather dates to the 1930s, to San Diego's vibrant Klucker scene. His most famous cameo is in the intro to the HBO series, True Blood, used as visible proof of the Klan's depravity (though it's misleading tying him to the South…). I mean, what evil parent would inculcate their child with the Klan's depravity?
Francis Allen Kidder of SanTana, that's who.
Kidder was a building contractor who joined the first wave of the Klan, the one that saw SanTana as its home base. But it wasn't enough to just have one Kidder as a member.
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The membership roll of the Orange County chapter of the Invisible Empire also lists Francis Allen Kidder, Jr. as a Klucker. He would've been all of seven years old when Daddy signed him up–but imagine how cute he'd look in his kiddie hood and robe!
Tune in every Monday around 5 p.m. for the latest entry exposing Orange County city fathers who were Klan members!
Previous entries:
Leslie C. Rogers, Santa Ana City Marshal
Earl Sechrist and Burton Young, Brea and Yorba Linda Ministers
Rollin Marsden and Roy Davis, Fullerton Councilmembers
William French, Fullerton's First Deputy Police Officer
Rudolph Kroener, Co-Owner of Former Gas Station that's Now Orange's Filling Station
William E. Fanning, Brea Schools Pioneer, Namesake of Fanning Elementary
Jesse L. Hunter, San Juan Capistrano Innkeeper, Owner of Mexican Restaurant
John A. Leuzinger, Brea Mayor, Founder of Brea Electric
Newton E. Wray, SanTana Rancher, Failed City Council Candidate
Samuel F. Hilgenfeld, Buena Park Minister, Founder of Anaheim's Hilgenfeld Mortuary
Elmer E. Heidt, OC's First Scout Executive for Orange County Boy Scouts Council
James W. Newell, Fullerton-area Miner/Mason
Garland C. Ross, Santa Ana dentist, batted against Walter Johnson
Ferris F. Kelley, San Juan Capistrano Postmaster
Clyde Fairbairn, Longtime Olive resident/nice guy
Charles McClure, Brea's first police chief
John F. Pieper, Tustin feed-store owner, councilmember
William Starbuck, Fullerton school trustee, druggist
Hoyt Corbit, Yorba Linda pioneer, fan of Richard Nixon
Lucien Proud, La Habra mayor/school trustee
Albert Hetebrink, Fullerton rancher
Henry W. Head, Orange County godfather
Dr. Roy S. Horton and Marshall Keeler, Santa Ana Unified trustees
Sam Jernigan and Jesse Elliott, Orange County sheriffs
Herman Hiltscher, Fullerton bureacrat
