Segundo was founded by Colorado Fuel and Iron (CF&I) as a company town to house its workers for a local coal mine. The town was the second mining community developed by CF&I in 1904 behind Primero and was referenced in the town's name, with segundo meaning "second" in Spanish.[5] CF&I offered adequate housing for the time, and promoted upward mobility through its sponsorship of a YMCA center, an elementary school, small businesses, and a company store. Segundo was a prosperous town until the 1920s, when the population began to decline due to constant health issues related to air pollution and outdated housing that lacked indoor plumbing. Declines in demand for metallurgicalcoke led to workers being laid off and, following a major fire in 1929, CF&I ceased their operations in Segundo. The town's population plummeted to the point that it almost became a ghost town.[6]
