By: Beth Marshall & Mary E. Mortimer
This Fraternal Order was founded “To promote and practice the four cardinal virtues of Charity, Justice, Brotherly Love and Fidelity; to promote the welfare and enhance the happiness of its members; to quicken the spirit of American Patriotism and cultivate good fellowship.” The Order of Elks is a non-political, non-sectarian fraternity.
The B.P.O.E. was founded in New York in 1868 by a group of fifteen actors and others associated with the theater, who had a social group called the “Jolly Corks”. They had decided that in addition to good fellowship, they needed a more enduring organization to serve those in need, and the first Lodge received its charter in 1871.
Early members did research to find an animal after which to name their organization. In natural history records, the elk was “fleet of foot, timid of wrongdoing, keen of perception, avoiding all combat, but quick to run to the defense of the young, the helpless and the weak”, and appealed to what the group wanted to stand for. The Elks emblem was adopted in 1908 and consists of “a combination of a dial, showing the hour 11, with a white face and red Roman numerals, circumscribed by a blue circle, containing the initials B.P.O.E., on which the dial shall rest on the elk’s head and antlers, which shall be surmounted by a red five-point star.”
The B.P.O.E. organized Bellefontaine Lodge No. 132 on September 24, 1889, with sixteen members, being the 132nd chartered in the country, and 21st in Ohio. Their original meeting rooms were on the second floor of the Opera Block.
In January 1891, the Elks hosted an “elegant and charming social event.” About one hundred people attended the luncheon and enjoyed playing crokinole, tiddle-de-winks, and other games. The Elks also held a clam bake at Silver Lake in May of 1896.
As membership grew, the Lodge moved to the second floor of the People’s Commercial Bank building, at the corner of Main St and Columbus Ave., then to the upper level at 116 N. Main St. By 1919, they had two hundred members, and in 1923 purchased a large home at 221 N. Main St. that was owned by Mrs. Mary Colton.
In 1926, the Bellefontaine Elks established a record when E.J. Cochran of Russells Point and his five adult sons joined the Lodge at the same time. By 1997, the Lodge had over nine hundred members.
The Bellefontaine Elks Lodge celebrated their 120th anniversary in 2009. At that time, they stated their building had seen two major additions, a 1,250 square foot front entrance and main ballroom, and an additional 1,500 square foot addition onto the rear of the lodge. They also reported that the Elks contributed $5,000 to fight Cerebral Palsy and had contributed to The Little Chiefs, Little Raiders, and the Bellefontaine Blaze, the 4-H Endowment, Relay For Life, United Way, and Boy Scouts of America. The Bellefontaine Elks also sponsored scholarships to Benjamin Logan, West Liberty, and Bellefontaine schools.
In 2013, after helping the community for 123 years, the Bellefontaine B.P.O.E. Lodge No. 132 decided to close and surrender its charter. Their records were donated to the LCHS archives.
There was also a Bellefontaine Lodge of the Improved Benevolent Protective Order of Elks of the World (IBPOEW). The Hi-Point Lodge No. 1214 was an African American fraternal order that met on Garfield Avenue for many years.
In 1996, the first new Elks Lodge in over 10 years was initiated with Lodge No. 2792 Indian Lake B.P.O.E. They had one of the largest classes in Elks history with 492 charter members. They also made history with the initiation of female members and the installation of female officers. One of the events the Lodge sponsored for many years was the “Wacky Boat Races” on Indian Lake. The Lodge met at 156 E. Main Street in Russells Point, but in 2011, the building became too costly to maintain and was sold. They surrendered their charter on September 30, 2011.
