MARSHALLTOWN, Iowa- In dedication to Black History Month, the Historical Society of Marshall County (HSMC) will focus it’s ‘History on Second Tuesday’ event on “The Hoodoo Chasers.”

The secret society was reportedly established by railroad workers in 1915, during a semi-professional baseball game. Their mission was to chase and harass followers of hoodoo, which is another term for voodoo or mystical arts.

Members were said to have used the word “asylums” instead of club or chapter. The mysterious group had locations in several areas like Cedar Rapids and Chicago, according to HSMC.

Historian, journalist and HSMC library assistant Dorie Tammen will provide the commentary on Tuesday, Feb. 11 at 6:30 p.m., at the Mowry-Irvine Mansion located at 503 W. Main Street in Marshalltown.

The event is free-of-charge and open to the public. A donation is encouraged.

The Second-Tuesday series is part of an “ongoing effort by HSMC to educate central Iowans about the significant contributions made by Marshall County residents and of events which have shaped the county,” stated a news release.

The HSMC was established by a group of women in 1908. It is a certified 501(c)3 not-for-profit group whose income is derived exclusively from memberships, a small endowment and fund-raising activities.

For more information, contact HSMC at 641-752-6664 or info@hsmcia.org.