Rapelje, Montana

Rapelje, Montana
incorporated community
Nickname(s): City in the middle of nowhere
Motto: home is where the heart is
Rapelje, Montana
Rapelje, Montana
Coordinates: 45°58′19″N 109°15′18″W / 45.97194°N 109.25500°W / 45.97194; -109.25500Coordinates: 45°58′19″N 109°15′18″W / 45.97194°N 109.25500°W / 45.97194; -109.25500
Country United States
State Montana
County Stillwater
Elevation 4,071 ft (1,241 m)
Population (2000)[1]
 • Total 110
Time zone Mountain (MST) (UTC-7)
 • Summer (DST) MDT (UTC-6)
ZIP code 59067
Area code(s) 406
GNIS feature ID 777090[2]

Rapelje is an unincorporated community farming and ranching community in northern Stillwater County, Montana, United States. Rapelje was named for J. M. Rapelje, general manager and vice president of the Northern Pacific Railway.[3] Rapelje area had a population of approximately 110 people as of the 2000 census.[4][5] Rapelje is located 24 miles north of Columbus, Montana on Montana Secondary Highway 306.[6]

History

First of all, Rapelje was named originally called Lake Basin due to its geographical landscape, but in 1913 it was named after J.M. Rapelje, who was one of the heads of the Northern Pacific Railroad. Rapelje was first established as a town where local railroad workers of the Northern Pacific Railway would live in the late 1800s. As more and more people began to work at the railroad, the town grew bigger in both size and population. They had multiple attractions such as a hotel, a grocery store, a town hall, a K-12 school, and many other things. A post office was established in 1913, and the four grain towers (which are still there today) were put in business. A railroad destination point, Rapelje developed into a reasonable town with a number of grain elevators, its own school district, an evangelical church, a cafe, and later on a violin shop and clothing business. In 1980, the railroad was taken out of Rapelje, and the population declined, as well as sales and business. Rapelje had fallen apart in the past few decades. The hotel burned down, the town hall was removed, the grocery store closed, and the murder of a wife and son occurred. However, some people stuck around and tried their hardest to keep the little town running. They relied on agriculture to keep the town alive, as well as the school and the sports they provided.

Education

Rapelje School is one of the smallest schools in the Stillwater County with around 40 students. They used to be "The Rapelje Rockets", but due to the decreasing population, they joined athletics with the nearby town of Reed Point and changed their sports to "The Rapelje-Reedpoint Renegades".

Culture

Rapelje is a "country" town, so their traditions are more rural. They used to have a bar called the "White Elephant" which was the main hangout place. They would frequently host dances.

24 Hours of Rapelje

The 24 Hours of Rapelje is a USA Cycling sanctioned endurance mountain bike race held on the weekend in June closest to the summer solstice.[7] The race is coordinated by the local volunteers.[8] The 24 Hours of Rapelje has been canceled this year so it doesn't matter.

Climate

According to the Köppen Climate Classification system, Rapelje has a semi-arid climate, abbreviated "BSk" on climate maps.[9]

References

This article is issued from Wikipedia - version of the 11/22/2016. The text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike but additional terms may apply for the media files.