A post office at Phalanx was established in 1872, and remained in operation until 1902.[3] The community was named after the local Trumbull Phalanx Company,[4] which was a utopian community based upon Charles Fourier's theories from 1844 to 1848 and again from 1849 to 1852.[5] There were about 200 residents. The community sat on up to 2,000 acres and had farm land, a grist mill, saw mill, oil mill, clothing works, and other enterprises.[2]