Bessemer in Pueblo in Pueblo County, Colorado — The American Mountains (Southwest)
Site of YMCA #2
| — | Steelworks Center of the West | — |
Photographed by Mark Hilton, August 11, 2025
1. Site of YMCA #2 Marker
The "Steel Y," opened by the Colorado Fuel & Iron Company in 1920 on a site west of Abriendo Avenue that is now a parking lot, was once the largest private YMCA in the United States. It contained meeting rooms, educational and recreational facilities, and a dormitory.
YMCA #2, a second facility, was subsequently established for minority employees of CF&I and their families in a building previously housing the superintendent's lunchroom, opening on September 29, 1921. In addition, the site became a community center for Pueblo's African-American population.
In 1934, a Mary Bethune Club was established at YMCA #2. The club sought solutions to the community's social and economic problems and was active in state and national issues involving minorities. In later years, the building was home to CF&I's Industrial Relations, Public Relations, and Employee Benefits Departments. YMCA # 2 was demolished in 1975 to make room for a parking lot.
Photos:
Top: YMCA #2 building, lower left, adjacent to the Colorado Supply Company Store, ca. 1921.
Left Inset:| Blast fumace employees, ca. 1945.
Right Inset: Advanced first aid class offered at YMCA # 2, 1943.
Bottom: Mary Bethune Club, 1945.
Funded in part by the Historic Preservation Fund, National Park Service, Department of Interior and the History Colorado State Historical Fund
Erected by Steelworks
this page online
Topics. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: Notable Buildings. A significant historical date for this entry is September 29, 1921.
Location. 38° 14.299′ N, 104° 36.761′ W. Marker is in Pueblo, Colorado, in Pueblo County. It is in Bessemer. It can be reached from Baystate Avenue east of East Abriendo Avenue, on the right when traveling east. Located behind the Steelworks Center of the West Museum in the Steelworks Park. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 215 Canal St, Pueblo CO 81004, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is in Colorado’s Arkansas River Valley and in the Front Range. It is also in the American Mountain West. Globally, it is in North America, the Rocky Mountains, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once the Comanchería and also the Republic of Texas.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 2 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies: 10 Ton Ladle (within shouting distance of this marker); Ore Carts (within shouting distance of this
Photographed by Mark Hilton, August 11, 2025
2. Site of YMCA #2 Marker
Marker is on the right side of the building near the bushes (see white arrow).
Also see . . . Steelworks Park. (Submitted on August 13, 2025, by Mark Hilton of Montgomery, Alabama.)
Credits. This page was last revised on August 13, 2025. It was originally submitted on August 13, 2025, by Mark Hilton of Montgomery, Alabama. This page has been viewed 116 times since then and 33 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on August 13, 2025, by Mark Hilton of Montgomery, Alabama.
