In
1902, the Arizona Eastern Railway was asking
for donations of right of way in order to establish a rail line between
Phoenix and Florence. A rail siding was established on property owned
by William “Bobby” Gilbert.
The siding and the town that sprung up around it eventually became
known as Gilbert.
Because
of the area’s rich land, Gilbert became a center for growing
and shipping cattle, sheep, dairy products, grains, melons, cotton,
and alfalfa hay. During World War I, the cavalry needed an ever-increasing
amount of alfalfa to feed their horses. Gilbert helped supply their
need, becoming known as the Hay Shipping Capital of the
World.
In 1920, the town’s
500 citizens incorporated, and Gilbert was officially born. Over the
next 50 years growth was slow-to-moderate. Then, beginning in 1980,
Gilbert experienced a population boom. In the last decade and a half,
Gilbert has grown at a pace unparalleled by most communities in the
United States, increasing population from 5,717 in 1980 to approximately
145,000 in July 2003.
The town’s
history has been captured in the Gilbert Historical Society
Museum. Located in a building that was once the original
Town School, this unique museum is open year-round Tuesdays, Thursday
and Saturdays from 9 am – 4 pm.
Gilbert has experienced a rapid transition from a historically agriculture-based
community to an urban center and suburb in the Phoenix Metropolitan
Area. In the last two decades, Gilbert has grown at a pace unparalleled
by most communities in the United States, increasing in population
from 5,717 in 1980 to over 138,000 in January 2003.
