Segundo was a coal camp. There were mines all through the area run by Colorado Fuel & Iron. Several miles north of Segundo was Primero, one of the largest coal camps in the area. Today, Primero is just a bunch of crumbling stone foundations with only the powder house and the jail still standing.
Segundo survived years of slowing coal production mostly because there were about 800 coking ovens near town and all the other mines from upriver sent their coal here. Then the coke ovens burned in 1929. After that CF & I shifted all coke production to the iron works in Pueblo. In the end, the only working coal mine near Segundo was the Frederick Mine and that shut down in 1960.
The heart of today's Segundo is occupied by Ringo's Market with Sam's Bar across the street. On the eastern edge of the settlement is a Las Animas County Shop/Garage. A couple miles to the east is Valdez with a river crossing and several oil/gas service company shops. Pioneer Natural Resources has their major local facility just east of that. About 4 miles west of Segundo is the Primero Schools physical plant: Primero offers a very good K-12 education and services the county between Cokedale and Cuchara Pass.
On the back side of the main district of Segundo
The famous "half church" of Segundo
The former town/mine offices
