Long story short I found a blank paper application to join the Knights of The KKK in a house I was junking in Milwaukee, WI. How it ended up here I am not sure. The perforated slip that would be filled out and sent in is still attached and blank. The mailing address lists Shelby, NC.
My question is when do you think this document would have been sent out in relation to activities of the KKK in that area?
Also, I am not really wanting to keep it. I’m open to suggestions about what would be a place to transfer ownership of this to either a collector or a museum.
Thanks in advance!
I can't answer the first question (at least not in depth, so I won't attempt to), but as a museum curator and collections manager I can make a suggestion in response to your second question.
KKK artifacts are often somewhat hard to come by for museums, as often donors wouldn't want to be associated with the object, and a deed of gift must be signed for the museum to take legal ownership of a donation.
I would start by contacting the North Carolina Museum of History. They have a whole webpage about the process of donating an artifact. A KKK membership application, especially from that time period, might be very interesting to them. Or it could be that they have several, and don't need duplicates, but may point you to other interested parties, such as the Intetnational Civil Rights Center and Museum in Greensboro.