At the beginning of 1901, Essex had thirty to forty houses, a large sawmill, a stave factory, a shingle mill, one store, a telephone office, a blacksmith shop, a livery stable, and a post office. In 1902, signs in Essex announced “Shoes Repared Hear,” and “Harness Repared Here.” Henry Chamberlin, who came in 1900, was the first postmaster. Arthur B. Meech, the second postmaster, was installed on May 16, 1904, but the post office closed four months later as the lumber supply and population declined.