Rinn, Colorado

Rinn was another prosperous farming and trading center, ten miles southeast of Longmont, and not too far from I-25 today. The area was settled, starting in the early 1890's by brothers Jacob (1866-1928) and Samuel (1863-1930) Rinn from Indiana County, Pennsylvania. Rinn had a post office, a general store, a church, three schools (one of them was called "The Smith" school house), two saloons, a blacksmith, and a community barn that was used for dances. And Rinn, too, had a dedicated column in the Longmont Ledger newspaper. The post office closed in 1907 when rural service was initiated to the area.

Sam and his wife Mary were members of the First Baptist Church in Longmont where Sam was deacon for 34 years. Understanding the need for a local church, Sam donated the land for the Rinn church and parsonage in 1906, which is the dominant Rinn landmark that still is in use today.



The original church was dedicated in 1906 but burned down in 1924. It was rebuilt soon after, and moved in 1936 to make room for Colorado highway 87. When I-25 was constructed, the church was moved once more in 1958 to its present location. The Rinn family Bible is maintained in the church's steeple, enclosed in iron.

Today, like Ryssby and Highlandlake, Rinn holds an annual celebration (in September) where hundreds gather to honor and remember their heritage as a tight-knit community. In addition to the church preserving the Rinn name, at least one upscale housing development in the area also includes "Rinn" in its name.



Much of the information given here was obtained from:

• They Came To Stay, St. Vrain Historical Association, 1971.
• The Ghosts of the Colorado Plains, Perry Eberhart, 1986.
  

Some other Longmont-area communities from the past, that I've visited:

Highlandlake
Ryssby
Pleasant View Ridge
Canfield and the connecting railroad to Longmont
Liberty Hall