Lying at the narrow Sego Canyon is a former coal-mining town Sego. Sego ghost town which was established in the early 1900s in Grand County was known for its rich coal mines for decades before it was abandoned and left for the ghosts.

Rise of a giant

Henry Ballard while exploring Sego Canyon discovered rich coal mines in the region. He immediately hired locals and created a small mine camp where he mined high-quality coal that he would take back to its store to sell. During this period coal was rare especially in Utah State and due to this, many flocked the canyon after they had the news of the discovered coal mines. Ballard later sold the rich mines to an investor who started a mining company called American Fuel Company. The American Fuel Company later changed its name to Chesterfield Coal Company. The company built several states of the mining art equipment like coal washers and many others making the coal mines of Utah the most preferred by miners. The population of the town which was currently called Nelsen (in honor of the Chesterfield company manager) grew to a rocking 500 by 1912. This was the only mining town where miners were allowed to build their houses anywhere. Chesterfield Company started its first shipment of coal in 1912 when the railroad reached the town.

Creed and fall of Sego Town?

By 1912, the town of Sego was shipping over 600 tons of coal a day to various towns and local railroad companies. Misfortunes began to follow the town when the town faced water problems. The principal mine, Chesterfield began to face financial problems as profit became minimal. This led to unpaid workers who left the town for greener pastures. Employment in the town became scarce and by 1947 only 27 miners resided in the town. Chesterfield mine closed the same year and was bought by the remaining miners who renamed it Utah Grand Coal Company. Though they were able to explore them for a year, frequent fire outbreaks reduced their progress and profit. After years of struggle, the owners of the mine sold it to a Texas-based company. The company that intended to explore gas and oil in the area established its headquarters in the nearby towns, closing the chapter on Sego completely.

The town of Sego Today?

After it was abandoned, flash floods in 1950 wiped everything in the town leaving only some permanent buildings. The town schoolhouse, dugouts, cemetery, and company store still stands although in shambles.Some of the structures were further destroyed by some treasure hunters who burnt the structures down in 1973. Today, smoke can still be seen coming from the shaft as underground coal fire still burns till today.