The Ku Klux Klan's development and growth across America was widely known as the "Middle-Class Movement". Initial growth in Portland, was fundamentally founded on this principle. The traditions of the middle class, as well as their populist beliefs, complimented the Black exclusion laws that existed in the mid-1800s. In addition, there were anti-Chinese and anti-Japanese sentiments present because of the populations of such groups in Portland and the surrounding areas. Portland was not fully made up of middle-class citizens, however, and its political activity was often anti-populist. The Klan had a very deep and complex presence in Portland, and no membership records exist of Klan members in the early 1900s. During the months of February and April 1922, over two thousand Klansmen participated in induction ceremonies; the specific number of Portland Klansmen is still unknown, but the state was estimated to contain more than 50,000 members. Members of the KKK in Portland came from a variety of backgrounds including doctors, lawyers, businessmen, clerks, and many other professions. Mount Tabor was home to many cross burnings.
