In spring 1929, at the beginning of the highway construction and improvement “season” in Pennsylvania, intimidating acts were committed supposedly by the Ku Klux Klan, against African Americans who were hired to work for the contractor who was constructing a State highway near Harrisburg.
An article in the Pottsville Herald of May 4, 1929 described the acts and reported the contractor’s request for police protection:
WHITES INTIMIDATE NEGROES WORKING ON STATE HIGHWAY
CONTRACTORS ASK POLICE PROTECTION FROM KU KLUX KLAN
Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, May 4 [1929] (U.P.) — Appeals have been made to State Police for aid in preventing attempts to intimidate negro laborers employed by the John A. Albright Company, Inc., engaged in the construction of a State highway near here.
Race hatred figured in the alleged attempts to intimidate the workers, it was claimed.
These attempts came to a climax yesterday when a barrage of shotgun bullets fell on the barracks in which the negroes were housed.
The trouble started when road construction opened this year with the discharge of thirty-two whites and the employment of an equal number of negroes.
Then started a series of petty thefts from tool houses of the company. These were not considered serious until 200 pounds of dynamite was stolen.
Buildings at the camp have been covered with stickers reading:
“Ku Klux Klan — here, there and everywhere.”
“One country, one flag and one race.”
A picture of a little red school house furnished the background for the pictures, while one large warning poster carried the following message:
“If you don’t have any respect for the white race we have and we give you ten days to get rid of these nickers. If you don’t we will.”
An article describing the same event, but with much less detail, appeared in the Harrisburg Telegraph, May 4, 1929.
CALL STATE POLICE TO PROTECT WORKERS
Posters, surprise visits and a barrage of buckshot have annoyed employees of the John A. Albright Company, 724 South Cameron Street, contractors for the State highway between Lickdale and Pine Grove, to such an extent that State Police have been called, Earl C. Brightbill, secretary-treasurer of the firm, said today. They are investigating activities of some former employees, he said.
______________________________________
News story from Newspapers.com.
Corrections and additional information should be added as comments to this post.