Riffe Lake was formed in 1968 with the completion of Tacoma City Light's Mossyrock Dam. The lake was originally named Davisson Lake after a Tacoma utilities director, who had no significance to Lewis County. People in Eastern Lewis County were sick at heart for not naming it after the pioneer family for which the town of Riffe was named. Riffe and Kosmos were the two towns that the lake drowned. Riffe was located just below and off to the right of this viewpoint, while Kosmos was at the upper end of the lake.
In February, 1975, a movement was started in east county by various granges, groups, and individuals to the get the name of the lake changed with resolutions and petitions. The Morton Journal's publisher at the time, Jim Marvin, also petitioned the State Board of Geographic Names to change the name to Riffe Lake. With the able assistance of County Commissioner Harold Cooper, the Riffe family, and other interested people the State Board of Geographic Names was influenced to vote on March 12, 1976 to rename the lake as "Riffe Lake", thus restoring a pioneer name to the area.
As a side note, pwezzr2 was raised and later worked in the town of Kosmos.