| Primero | |
| Settlement Type: | Mining ghost town |
| Pushpin Map: | USA Colorado |
| Pushpin Map Caption: | Location within the state of Colorado |
| Subdivision Type: | Country |
| Subdivision Name: | United States |
| Subdivision Type1: | State |
| Subdivision Name1: | Colorado |
| Subdivision Type2: | County |
| Unit Pref: | Imperial |
| Population As Of: | 2000 |
| Population Density Km2: | auto |
| Timezone: | Mountain (MST) |
| Utc Offset: | -7 |
| Timezone Dst: | MDT |
| Utc Offset Dst: | -6 |
| Elevation Ft: | 6814 |
| Coordinates: | 37.1425°N -104.7417°W |
| Postal Code Type: | ZIP codes |
| Postal Code: | 81233 [1] |
| Blank Name: | FIPS code |
| Blank1 Name: | GNIS feature ID |
| Blank1 Info: | 194641[2] |
Primero is a ghost town in Las Animas County, Colorado, United States.[2] The community was a company coal mining town for the Colorado Fuel and Iron Company during the early 20th century.
The mining community was one of the first in the region, hence the name.[3] In 1921, the mine employed roughly 275 miners.[4] The town eventually came to contain 175 total buildings, including one Catholic and one Protestant church, a high school, and other amenities.[5] The Protestant church, Union Protestant, was dedicated in April 1917 and hosted cultural events along with worship.[6] [7]
The coal produced at the Primero mine was largely employed in steel manufacturing, including at the CF&I plants at Pueblo–the Minnequa Steel Works–and Segundo.[5] The closing of the steel works had an adverse effect on the demand for coal from the Primero mine, playing a role in the 1921 labor dispute between CF&I miners and the Company.[4] During the duration of its operation, the mine produced 8,177,567 tons of coal.[5]
A post office called Primero was established in 1901, and remained in operation until 1933.[8]
An explosion at the Primero mine killed 75 miners on 31 January 1910.[9] The mine explosion has been cited as a relevant example of the unsafe conditions prevalent in CF&I mines in the years prior to the 1913-1914 Strike. On 8 November 1910, an explosion at the Victor-American Fuel Company mine at Delagua killed 76. Miners from Primero helped for survivors and recover bodies from the rubble.[10]
In September 1913, a strike was called by the independent United Mine Workers of America union against CF&I. Over the next several months, sporadic violence saw deaths, including Primero. The violence escalated to 20 April 1914, when Colorado National Guard and company-supported militia committed the Ludlow Massacre against striking miners, leading to further violence in what is known as the Colorado Coalfield War.
Following the strike, CF&I–helmed by John D. Rockefeller Jr. and under the advisory of future Prime Minister of Canada William Lyon Mackenzie King–implemented a series of reforms intended to promote support for the Company. Among these were investments in new town infrastructure in communities owned by CF&I. Among the structures built was a Catholic church, which, until the completion of the nearby Protestant church, housed the liturgies of multiple denominations.[11] [12] Bishop John Henry Tihen, bishop of the Diocese of Denver, visited the church in Primero in May 1921. During the visit, he confirmed 17 children in the town.[13]
During World War I, at least 48 men from Primero joined the United States military. The town also contributed $34,900 ($550,000 in 2015) in liberty bonds during the Third Liberty Loan.[14]
In 1921, a labor dispute over pay changes saw miners strike for several months, from 23 August through November. During the strike–referred to by the Company as a "closure"–saw a large number of the mine's employees leaving Primero.[4] In part, the fight over the wages pertained to whether those at Primero would be represented by their choice of the UMWA–membership of which was then prohibited by CF&I–or the company union that was a part of the Company's Industrial Representation Plan. Ultimate, Colorado's Industrial Commission sided with the company in prohibiting membership to the UMWA and enforcing CF&I's wages that were negotiated with the company union.[15]
The town was depopulated in 1928, and by 1 August 1933 all assets were either sold or dismantled.[5]