Legend has it that Essex was founded when a motorist got stranded and found there weren't a workshop for miles, so he probably opened one himself.
At a time when gas stations charged 10 cents for drinking or engine cooling water, Essex in the middle of the hot desert had something special to offer: A well, dug by the Southern California Automobile Association, where you could draw water for free.
The fact that it was only possible to receive the first television program in 1977 shows how remote the area is. West of Essex, people once passed through the towns of Danby and Summit on their way to Amboy.