Imagine losing your rifle and a town later being named after that mistake! It was 1876 and A.C. Peale, who worked for the U.S. Geological Survey, wrote on his map, ‘rifle’ where he had misplaced his firearm while mapping that portion of the state. Later in 1882, the town of Rifle would be named because that is what showed up on the official map of the place.
Rifle is situated in some of the most beautiful parts of Colorado. It is a place, as the song goes, ‘where the deer and the antelope play.’ Situated in Garfield County, Rifle is the most populated of all the towns in the county. Rifle early on received notoriety when President Theodore Roosevelt, who loved to hunt, shot a bear in Garfield County. Tourism became one of the reasons Rifle has faired well over the decades ever since.
The Lamplighter community in Rifle is as beautiful as the surrounding country. The people here are warm and friendly, willing to pitch in and help not only their neighbors but Impact Cares when we came to help beautify the community even more. The folks in this community could be coined ‘steady as she goes’ sort of people. With its abundance of natural resources, Rifle has endured its share of booms and busts over the decades. To be the sort of folks that live as the salt of the earth folks, this community epitomized that sentiment. On project day, the ‘Lamplighter’ community came out and started ‘lighting lamps,’ neighbors helping neighbors, volunteers came from Kearny, NE to Durango, CO to the home office to pitch in help.
Lamplighter, like any community, has folks from all walks of life and in various stages of life. One resident had recently lost her husband after a long battle with cancer. They had been together for decades and it was encouraging to see the neighbors coming around to check in and encourage her as she walked into a new chapter in her life. Another resident struggles with health challenges and pain on a continual basis. Impact Cares was able to make several improvements to his home, for which he was extremely grateful.
One long-time resident, the unelected but capable ‘mayor’ for the community was a huge help. She would check in on the work, encourage the team and offer her yard as the place for taking breaks and having a meal. In every group of people, leaders always seem to rise to the top and it was true here as well. When a great person is a servant-leader to a community, the entire place benefits. This could be said as well for the staff here as well. Always willing to help, pitch in and get things done, these are some great people who make this community a delight to be a part of.
Rifle is a place where there are great natural resources, great beauty to be seen and a great group of people to live by. Located between Grand Junction and Glenwood Springs on Highway 70, it is a great place for a short getaway and a wonderful place to live.