Rifle. The ghost of a town. Memorial Day 2019 trip, part 10

We thoroughly enjoyed strolling through the tranquil streets of Meeker (click here to see them too - Meeker). However, it was time for us to make our way back home. This time, we opted for the shortest route (yes, I know it might disappoint you, but we were exhausted). We took Highway 13, which led us to I-70, and before long, we found ourselves passing through Rifle. Every Coloradian is familiar with Rifle, aren't they? The peculiar thing about Rifle is that it is kind of a ghost town... Well, not exactly a ghost town, but allow me to explain... Many of us who drive on I-70 pass through Rifle numerous times, yet only a handful of people pause for more than refueling or grabbing a bite to eat. Some people visit Rifle Mountain Park (a popular spot for climbers) or Rifle Falls (click here to see the park - Rifle Falls), so they simply drive through town without slowing down or exploring further. Therefore, for many, it serves as a mere landmark along the road rather than a genuine town... That is why I call it a ghost town... But we were intrigued to take a closer look, so we decided to stop and take a stroll.

 

The city population was 9,172 at the 2010 census, up from 6,784 at the 2000 census. It is growing! Rifle is a regional center of the cattle ranching industry. The town was founded in 1882 by Abram Maxfield, and was incorporated in 1905 along Rifle Creek, near its mouth on the Colorado. The community takes its name from the creek.

Rifle became more and more settled as the 19th century gave way to the 20th. In 1889, the railroad cut through from the east and ended in Rifle for a while before connecting lines were completed. This opened up the floodgates for new travelers, settlers, and trade. Long drives of cattle over the mountains towards the Front Range and Denver became a thing of the past. Rifle was now a thriving hub for commerce. If it needed to be shipped east to a buyer's market, or shipped west into ranching country, it came through town.

The first major economy known to Rifle was ranching. The land surrounding the town was arid, and much of it was unsuitable for farming without irrigation. Despite the large stretches of land available, tension arose and manifested between those who tended cattle and those who herded sheep. Good grazing practices were not in place, and the summer pastures at the top of the Roan Plateau were contested over. One rancher lost two-thirds of his flock and went bankrupt when competing cowboys drove the sheep over the cliff.

One of the most frequently asked questions by those moving to or visiting Rifle, according to Rifle Creek Museum curator Kim Fazzi, is "why is it called Rifle?". But exactly how Rifle got its name is still a mystery. Nobody really knows for sure, she said. 

It was 1876 when the name Rifle Creek first appeared in the Hayden Report, a U.S. geological survey. Geologist Ferdinand Vandiveer Hayden was heading a survey party in the Rifle area in the 1870s, which was then Ute Territory. The earlier exploring parties had to name all the different creeks and found it difficult to select names. The story goes that a party camped one night near the mouth of an unknown and unnamed creek. In the morning, they had gone a mile or so when one of the members discovered he had left his gun standing against a tree and had to go back to get it, so they put this camp down as Rifle Creek. This is one legend... Another story says that early cattle camps were assembled at a roundup area at the south entrance to Ward Gulch, where three streams joined. Here it was the custom for pioneer cowboys to fire their guns to signal their location and approach to distant herds, and they promptly dubbed the streams East, West and Main Rifle creeks. Yet another tale involves early residents finding a rusty rifle standing against a tree near the creek and thus naming it Rifle Creek.

 

What is known is that in 1889, a man named A.W. Maxfield, the founder of Rifle, divided up his ranch land into lots. When he learned that the railroad was coming through, he thought it would be a great place for a town. He takes his ranch down on Second Street and cuts it up and sells the lots. He wanted to call the town Rifle, not Maxfield, maybe for the originality of the name. And it remains original. Rifle is reportedly the only city in the United States with that name. However it came about, the name has stuck unlike Glenwood Springs, which was at one time called Defiance, and Silt, once called Ferguson, and Parachute, which changed to Grand Valley and then back to Parachute. Rifle has always been Rifle. Over the years, there have been popular stories of how it got its name, but today we can only speculate.

The town of Rifle bears a resemblance to many other small towns in the region, and we thoroughly enjoyed strolling through its serene downtown and still-peaceful streets. Being a popular location for Hispanic ranchers, there are several Mexican stores in town, and we had a delightful time exploring one of them. I was consistently amazed by the wide variety of peppers and chilies one can find there ;)

We dedicated a little over an hour to exploring the area before hitting the road once more. The scenery along the highway near Glenwood Springs is absolutely breathtaking. The colors are vibrant, and the juxtaposition of fresh green and deep red is truly remarkable. Although we couldn't stop to take pictures, we managed to capture a couple of snapshots from the car.

 

See this short video of the stunning Glenwood Canyon, which is undoubtedly the highlight of I-70.

And so, with an additional 900 miles on the odometer and countless memories, we brought this journey to a close. It was delightful to revisit familiar places and discover new attractions along the way.

Pictures were taken on May 27, 2019.