Bellwood Elk

Bellwood Elk. Wapiti Elk. A North American deer (Cervus Canadensis), the largest existing deer, resembling the moose but not as large, is found in North America, Scandinavia, Germany, Russia and Siberia, "Wapiti" is Shawnee for white rump and tail. , Around the turn of the 20th century, James Bellwood, a farmer who lived on this property, imported a pair of Rocky Mountain Elk from Yosemite National Park and Washington State. The elk made themselves at home in the shady groves and pastureland where deer, rabbits and other animals already roamed at will. The elk flourished and multiplied. With the coming of World War II, the Federal Government purchased the land in 1941 from the Bellwood family for construction of the Richmond General Depot, now known as Defense Supply Center Richmond., One of the conditions of the land sale insisted upon by the Bellwood family was continuation and maintenance of the elk herd. A handshake signaled the Army's agreement, although throughout the years some elk have been traded or donated to other herds. Management and care of the elk is overseen by Defense Logistics Agency Installation Support at Richmond. Through the years the Bellwood Elk Herd has been an important part of the installation's culture and a source of great pride among the work force as the Department of Defense continues to honor the original agreement made with the Bellwood family to care for the elk.