Sego, Thompson, Cisco, Utah

A UTAH TRIPLE TREAT

US50/I-70 angles northwest out of Grand Junction Colorado, tracing the loop on the Colorado River. At mile "0" we cross the Utah State line as the freeway angles southwest along the Grand River Valley, between the Colorado River and the colorful Book Cliffs. Scattered through the region are the sun-baked remains of numerous towns. Some are barren sites; others are clusters of abandoned buildings. Some even have a smattering of occupants hanging on to threads of badly faded dreams.

Cisco, 50 miles east of Green River is one of these. In the 1930s, this tiny map dot was at the junction of US 6/50 and SH 128 to Moab and points south. Today, the Moab road has shifted to the west a couple miles, and US 6/50 is now I-70, and sits several miles north of Cisco. What was a busy town now bakes in the relentless sun of the Utah desert.

To reach Cisco, exit at EXIT 220, 16.7 miles west of the state line. What used to be the main highway is now a rough narrow asphalt ribbon that heads southwest of the freeway. 5.8 miles beyond the exit, "Downtown" Cisco is reached. Cisco 1994 is nothing like Cisco 1941. That Cisco was built by the Denver & Rio Grande Railroad, and in 1940 had some 200 people and was the shipping center for the cattle and sheep ranchers in the area. By the early 1950s, vanadium and uranium mining in that part of Utah drew thousands of "wannabe rich" prospectors, and the town catered to them. Unfortunately for the town, the mines basically fizzled and the miners moved on. When the Interstate was built, that further isolated the already isolated community, and it died.

Today the gaunt remains of Cisco spread nearly a mile, with a cluster of buildings at the central point. The major buildings include the burned out concrete block gas station with a colorful mural painted on the walls. To the west are a couple squat solid railroad tie structures with sod roofs. There are also four single story clapboard buildings moldering along the south side of the road. One of the buildings looks like it may have been an old store, and the other two possibly were houses. To the south of the complex of abandoned buildings are a few mobile homes and cabins that appear to be lived in.

At mile 28.2, the Cisco road rejoins the freeway at EXIT 212, and we again head west. At EXIT 191 there is a Utah Welcome Center that is loaded with maps and brochures to help the traveler.

Six miles later we exit the freeway at EXIT 185, and head north a mile or so. At mile 46.5 we cross the railroad tracks in the center of the little community of Thompson.

Thompson is a quiet little town, and surprise of surprises, has an active AMTRAK station! The town looks better than half abandoned, and since the main highway doesn't run through it anymore, it has definitely seen better days. It isn't as ghostly looking as Cisco, but it isn't exactly a booming city either. Thompson has had several names, Thompson, Thompsons & Thompson Springs.

Thompson got its start in the late 1800s, possibly around 1890 when a rancher named Thompson settled at the mouth of a canyon with a good stream. Shortly after he settled, a small community established itself, and took the name Thompson Springs. The settlers were mostly farmers or ranchers. The town itself was small, but contained a hotel, pool hall, railroad station, store, and a number of houses.

In the 1954 edition of the Utah WPA guide, "Thompsons (5,134 alt., 102 pop.)... is a watering stop on the Denver & Rio Grande Railroad."

In 1994 it wasn't a whole lot more. There was the single story brick motel long ago closed to the public, the Silver Grill Cafe (which was closed on the day of our visit, but still looks open.), and a handful of other buildings, including the old Sego School.

Heading north across the railroad tracks on the graded dirt road puts you towards Sego, the last of our three ghosts. At mile four is a road junction. The left fork continues up Thompson Canyon while the right fork heads toward Sego, 1 mile further up the canyon. The fork starts at a nasty looking spot, and I almost had second thoughts about tackling it in the rental van.

Once past that initial bad spot the road remained somewhat smooth until we actually entered into the canyon that Sego is hidden in. The well-graded road narrowed, and began to resemble a wagon road. It basically followed the old railroad grade, and hopscotched the creek. If you read all the ghost town books that mention Sego, all say to drive carefully across the railroad bridges that cross over the creek. Can't do that now! All the bridges have been removed, or ARE NOT passable with any type vehicle due to the poor condition of any wood.

Now there really is no reason to, as the road generally follows the base of the abutments, and is passable in a passenger vehicle IF YOU HAVE SHORT FRONT AND REAR OVERHANG, and adequate road clearance. We made it comfortably in a Nissan Quest, but I wouldn't attempt it in a medium or larger passenger car. The road is not maintained, and conditions will change after a rainfall. I advise to check for conditions in the Roadside info booth, or at least in Thompson (if you can find anybody!)

I really didn't know what to expect in Sego. Most of the ghost town references I have date back to the 1970s. Having been disappointed in the past on supposedly GOOD ghost towns, I was pleasantly surprised. Sego is shopworn, and many of the old buildings are gone, and many are well hidden in the greenery along the creek. Also high water levels have scoured away many houses. The solid rock walls remain of the old company store, and across the street, are the deteriorating remains of what was once the two story wooden "American" boarding house. To the east, behind the store, are the rock remains of another unidentified building.

Scattered through the greenery, I found a handful of dugout cabins, an explosives bunker, and many foundations. The rock store has an interesting pinkish cast to it in certain lighting conditions, which seems odd, especially with the silvers, olive greens and light green of the native flora. The scrubbed pink plaster walls inside seem almost out of place, considering how black and dirty this onetime coal mining camp probably was during its prime.

Sego once had a population said to be around 500, and was a bustling community. Its main claim to fame appears to be the oft- repeated mention of the dinosaur footprints. Officials of the Chesterfield Mine unearthed and sent out a huge footprint measuring 53½" by 32" across. Later that same year one 44" x 32" was sent to New York's American Museum of Natural History. Numerous times during the 1930s and 1940s paleontologists stopped by the community checking on any new finds.

The coal was originally found around 1900 by the owner of most of Thompson's Springs, an Englishman named Harry Ballard. While out poking around in the canyon he ran across a large seam of anthracite coal. Recognizing its value and potential, he purchased the land and began mining. It didn't take long for word to get out, and soon the American Fuel Company bought him out and established the small mining camp of Neslin.

In 1911, the boom was underway, and in 1914, a railroad spur was pushed five miles up from the Denver & Rio Grande main line tracks at Thompson, to the Neslin camp. The mines weren't profitable enough for the mine owners, so after a radical reorganization in 1916, the new community was renamed for the Sego Lily, which grew in profusion in the canyon. The Chesterfield Company opened a store, and the mine camp became a strong company town. There were many problems, and in 1933 the miners organized under the auspices of the United Mine Workers Union. The mines continued to produce coal, and in 1947 the camp and mines were sold at auction. It was all purchased by the miners, and the Utah Grand Coal Co. began its day in the sun.

During the 1950s, railroads stopped using coal, as the newer engines ran on diesel fuel. This reduced the need for the coal, and the mines shut down, and the town faded out. Many buildings were removed, and the town became but a memory.

Cisco, Thompson and Sego today are truly Utah's triple treat. Yet how many travelers along Interstate 70 even know or care what lies just off the paved highway. I won't tell if you don't!

This was our GHOST TOWN OF THE MONTH for December 2001.

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FIRST POSTED: December 02, 2001

LAST UPDATED: March 20, 2005

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