In the early 1870s the railroad cut a line up through the forest, heading for Ashland, establishing a station every five to ten miles.

[4] The 1913 plat map of Chelsea shows a post office and hotel across the tracks from the depot, with the school on the west side.

As local timber supplies waned, the sawmills adapted, shifting from white pine to hemlock and hardwoods.

[4] Cars and trucks took over for trains, but the traffic through town slowed when Highway 13 was routed around Chelsea on the east side.

[12] As of 2023 Chelsea is a smattering of homes on a side-road a short drive north of Medford - usually quiet - with the Pine Line bike trail passing through on the old railroad corridor.