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.
Sargents' population suffered a significant drop after the Denver and Rio Grande Railroad ended its passenger service in 1940 and abandoned the route by 1955. Nevertheless, the creation of U.S. Highway 50 somewhat alleviated this loss.