Postal service was established in the Washington County town of West Chester on January 27, 1873 with George James named the first postmaster. The first rural route was established on November 1903, a result of a petition circulated among area farmers encouraging the service. While the postmaster, Dave Kilgore, was relatively unsuccessful in his effort to obtain signatures, Catholic Priest A.G. Leet was successful in the second attempt. The first rural carrier made $48.50 per month for the 29-mile route.

West Chester was one of over 30 communities to lose its post office in 2011; service was officially discontinued on October 29, 2011. The nearest post office is 9 miles away in Keota.

At first glance, visitors may believe the post office in Rubio is still active: the yard is well-maintained, United States Postal Service logos can be found on both windows, and the official zip code sign is still in place on the south side of the building. In reality, the Postal Service hasn’t operated in this Washington County community since June 1980. The unincorporated community of Rubio lost its zip code and residents now receive mail via nearby Richland’s rural route.