Rapelje, Montana
Rapelje is an unincorporated community and census-Designated Place 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 had a population of approximately 110 people as of the 2000 census.[4][5] Rapelje is located 24 miles north of Columbus on Montana Secondary Highway 306.[6]
Rapelje, Montana | |
|---|---|
.jpg.webp) Rapelje, Montana | |
| Nickname: City of wheat | |
| Motto: "Home is where the heart is" | |
  Rapelje, Montana  Rapelje, Montana | |
| Coordinates: 45°58′19″N 109°15′18″W | |
| Country | United States |
| State | Montana |
| County | Stillwater |
| Government | |
| • Mayor | Robby Schoener |
| Area | |
| • Total | 0.49 sq mi (1.28 km2) |
| • Land | 0.49 sq mi (1.28 km2) |
| • Water | 0.00 sq mi (0.00 km2) |
| Elevation | 4,071 ft (1,241 m) |
| Population (2020) | |
| • Total | 88 |
| • Density | 178.50/sq mi (68.98/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC-7 (Mountain (MST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-6 (MDT) |
| ZIP code | 59067 |
| Area code | 406 |
| FIPS code | 30-60850 |
| GNIS feature ID | 777090[2] |
History
Rapelje was 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.[8] Rapelje was first established as a town where local railroad workers of the Northern Pacific Railway would live in the late 1800s. As more people began to work at the railroad, the town grew bigger in both size and population. They had multiple establishments 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 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. Businesses and residents of Rapelje largely dispersed from the town over the following decades. The hotel burned down, the town hall was removed, and the grocery store was closed.
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.[9] The race is coordinated by the local volunteers.[10]
Climate
According to the Köppen Climate Classification system, Rapelje had a semi-arid climate, abbreviated "BSk" on climate maps.[11]
| Climate data for Rapelje, Montana, 1991–2020 normals, extremes 1908–2021 | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °F (°C) | 71 (22) |
72 (22) |
80 (27) |
88 (31) |
98 (37) |
104 (40) |
108 (42) |
105 (41) |
103 (39) |
93 (34) |
79 (26) |
69 (21) |
108 (42) |
| Mean maximum °F (°C) | 58.0 (14.4) |
59.8 (15.4) |
68.9 (20.5) |
77.7 (25.4) |
83.7 (28.7) |
91.9 (33.3) |
98.2 (36.8) |
97.3 (36.3) |
93.0 (33.9) |
81.3 (27.4) |
67.4 (19.7) |
57.4 (14.1) |
99.8 (37.7) |
| Average high °F (°C) | 35.6 (2.0) |
37.6 (3.1) |
46.8 (8.2) |
54.8 (12.7) |
64.0 (17.8) |
73.3 (22.9) |
84.2 (29.0) |
83.6 (28.7) |
72.9 (22.7) |
57.5 (14.2) |
44.2 (6.8) |
35.8 (2.1) |
57.5 (14.2) |
| Daily mean °F (°C) | 25.0 (−3.9) |
26.5 (−3.1) |
34.6 (1.4) |
42.1 (5.6) |
51.1 (10.6) |
59.7 (15.4) |
68.4 (20.2) |
67.3 (19.6) |
57.8 (14.3) |
44.8 (7.1) |
33.3 (0.7) |
25.6 (−3.6) |
44.7 (7.0) |
| Average low °F (°C) | 14.5 (−9.7) |
15.4 (−9.2) |
22.4 (−5.3) |
29.5 (−1.4) |
38.1 (3.4) |
46.2 (7.9) |
52.7 (11.5) |
51.0 (10.6) |
42.8 (6.0) |
32.1 (0.1) |
22.3 (−5.4) |
15.5 (−9.2) |
31.9 (−0.1) |
| Mean minimum °F (°C) | −14.6 (−25.9) |
−9.6 (−23.1) |
−1.0 (−18.3) |
16.0 (−8.9) |
24.5 (−4.2) |
34.0 (1.1) |
42.9 (6.1) |
39.3 (4.1) |
29.0 (−1.7) |
11.3 (−11.5) |
−4.2 (−20.1) |
−10.7 (−23.7) |
−23.8 (−31.0) |
| Record low °F (°C) | −41 (−41) |
−45 (−43) |
−30 (−34) |
−11 (−24) |
−1 (−18) |
24 (−4) |
30 (−1) |
26 (−3) |
10 (−12) |
−15 (−26) |
−34 (−37) |
−39 (−39) |
−45 (−43) |
| Average precipitation inches (mm) | 0.46 (12) |
0.57 (14) |
0.76 (19) |
1.78 (45) |
2.73 (69) |
2.42 (61) |
1.64 (42) |
1.06 (27) |
1.40 (36) |
1.35 (34) |
0.57 (14) |
0.49 (12) |
15.23 (385) |
| Average snowfall inches (cm) | 7.8 (20) |
9.8 (25) |
8.8 (22) |
6.6 (17) |
1.1 (2.8) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.2 (0.51) |
5.6 (14) |
6.4 (16) |
8.0 (20) |
54.3 (137.31) |
| Average precipitation days (≥ 0.01 in) | 4.2 | 4.5 | 5.5 | 8.2 | 10.3 | 9.3 | 7.0 | 5.8 | 5.7 | 6.0 | 4.4 | 4.5 | 75.4 |
| Average snowy days (≥ 0.1 in) | 4.1 | 4.0 | 3.6 | 2.3 | 0.4 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.1 | 1.7 | 3.0 | 3.8 | 23.0 |
| Source 1: NOAA[12] | |||||||||||||
| Source 2: National Weather Service[13] | |||||||||||||
Education
Rapelje School District educates students from kindergarten through 12th grade.[14] Rapelje High School's team name is the Renegades.[15]
References
- "ArcGIS REST Services Directory". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved September 18, 2022.
- "Rapelje". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey, United States Department of the Interior.
- Montana Railroad History Archived 2008-06-17 at the Wayback Machine
- "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved January 31, 2008.
- Covers Census Block 9662, Blocks 1023, 1055-1064, 1067-1067, and 1071-1072, See "U.S. Census website". U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved October 4, 2007.
- "2007-2008 Montana Highway System Map" (PDF). Montana Department of Transportation.
- "Census of Population and Housing". Census.gov. Retrieved June 4, 2016.
- "Rapelje". Montana Place Names Companion. Montana Historical Society. Retrieved April 8, 2021.
- Thomas, Greg (June 30, 2007). "For an Everyman, a Test of Mettle in Montana". The New York Times. Retrieved October 4, 2007.
- Megedus, Mike (September 17, 2007). "Saving a Town: Tourism's a billion dollar business in the U.S., the lifeblood of many towns". CNBC. Retrieved October 4, 2007.
- Climate Summary for Rapelje, Montana
- "U.S. Climate Normals Quick Access". National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Retrieved August 7, 2022.
- "NOAA Online Weather Data". National Weather Service. Retrieved August 7, 2022.
- "Rapelje School District #32". Rapelje School District. Retrieved April 20, 2021.
- "Member Schools". Montana High School Association. Retrieved April 19, 2021.
Municipalities and communities of Stillwater County, Montana, United States | ||
|---|---|---|
| Town |  Stillwater County map | |
| CDPs | ||
| Other communities | ||
| Ghost towns | ||