Essex, California

Infobox Settlement
official_name = Essex, California


settlement_type = Town
subdivision_type = Country
subdivision_name = United States
image_

seal_size =150px
subdivision_type1 = County
subdivision_name1 = San Bernardino
population_total = 89
population_as_of = 2005
area_footnotes = Fact|date=February 2007
area_total_sq_mi =
area_total_km2 = 3
established_date = ca. 1915
established_title = Developed
elevation_ft = 2000
timezone = PST
utc_offset = -8
timezone_DST = PDT
utc_offset_DST = -7
postal_code_type = ZIP code
postal_code = 92332
area_code = 760
website = none

Essex is a small unincorporated town in San Bernardino County, California. Essex lies on Old National Trails Highway - part of the old Route 66 - just south of Interstate 40 in the Mojave Desert.

History

Essex, a former oasis along historic Route 66 in California, was allegedly founded when a motorist suffered a flat tire only to discover there were no garages for miles.http://digital-desert.com/route-66/essex/ Digital Desert: Ghost Towns]

Might have been called "Edson" circa 1892.

In Essex's heyday there were a number of important buildings utilized by motorists and local patrons, including:
* Bell's Towing
* The Wayside Cafe
* Essex Post Office
* Essex Elementary School

Essex was notable along route 66 for provide free water to travelers, thanks to a well installed by the Automobile Club of Southern California.http://www.cart66pf.org/Map/66mojave2.htm California Route 66 Preservation Foundation] Over a dozen homes also serviced the small community.

In 1977, Essex got television for the first time with the assistance of a community antenna television system and a microwave link. To commemorate this, the entire population of the town attended a taping of "The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson."

Today

With an estimated population of just 89 people in 2005http://www.homepages.com/localpages/California/Essex/EssexProfile.htm Essex Community Profile] (down from 111 in 2000http://www.pikpuk.com/zips9/92332.html Essex, California 92332] ), Essex is on the verge of becoming one of many ghost towns scattered throughout the Southwest United States displaced by the creation of Interstate 40. Essex Elementary school (founded 1937), which once served the educational needs of both Essex and its neighbor Goffs,http://www.desertusa.com/mnp/mnp_goff.html Desert USA: Goffs School] currently has only 4 pupils enrolled, taught by a single teacher.http://ca.localschooldirectory.com/schools.php/cPath/1432 Local School Directory: California] Its location remote even with today's technological capabilities, Essex lacks many comforts of modern day life, and were unable to receive television service until the end of 1977.http://openweb.tvnews.vanderbilt.edu/1977-12/1977-12-16-NBC-16.html NBC Television Archive]

Many of the homes and buildings in Essex have completely disappeared, almost 50 lie in abandonment, and of what was once a bustling roadside hub, only the singly-employed post office,http://www.priss.org/99/day6.htm Touring the Mojave Desert] Caltrans maintenance yard, school house, and outdoor telephone are still operational.

Essex has only one close neighbor, the equally abandoned Goffs, located to the north, just across I-40.

Three miles northeast of Essex, just north of Goffs Road, the remains of Camp Essex Army Airfield are still visible. This uniquely-configured airfield has two parallel runways and twelve "hardstands," where aircraft could be parked.

References

External links

*Geolinks-US-hoodscale|34.73361|-115.24417