The population of Sargents greatly diminished when the Denver and Rio Grande Railroad discontinued passenger service in 1940 and completely abandoned the line in 1955. Partially offsetting the loss of the railroad was the construction of the transcontinental U.S. Highway 50.
The population of Sargents declined substantially when the Denver and Rio Grande Railroad stopped providing passenger services in 1940 and ultimately gave up on the line in 1955. Meanwhile, the construction of U.S. Highway 50 partially counteracted this decline.