The city of Gilbert Arizona had its beginnings in the extension of the railroads moving through Arizona on it’s way through to California. The Phoenix Eastern Railway Company, later renamed the Arizona Eastern Railway, Had to be built through the land of William “Bobby” Gilbert on its way west. Gilbert never actually lived on the land he owned in the area. He was a citizen of Mesa, AZ where he and the Gilbert clan moved when Gilbert was a little over 20 years old to find a better living situation for his mother who suffered from asthma. The dry Arizona air helped her live another 20 years after moving to the area.
In exchange for selling the right of way on his land to the railroad, they named the spur line and accompanying depot the Gilbert Spur. A little less than 20 years later the town of Gilbert was officially incorporated under the name Gilbert. The Consolidated Canal built in the early 1900’s out of Chandler, AZ and the Roosevelt Dam built-in 1911 both contributed to rich soil and good irrigation that created prime farming land for alfalfa, cotton and dairy farms. During the World War 1 era, Gilbert would become known as the hay shipping capital of the world. Evidence of the rich farming land can still be seen in the numerous farms still in existence mostly southeast of the Gilbert, Chandler Area.
The first bank in Gilbert was formed in 1914. It was created in Gilbert’s first subdivision on the southeast corner of Page Ave and Main Street. Some of the men instrumental in creating the bank were: Bill Anderson, E. R. Wilbur, J Irvin Burk, Charley Hoffman, Abe Cosby, and F D Rowell. Bill Anderson did not live nearly the exciting life as the Arizona/New Mexico outlaw who shared his name, but was well known as being from the first Gilbert family to homestead and farm on land to the east of Gilbert Road north of Guadalupe.
- E. R. Wilbur donated the area where the Gilbert Historical Museum now stands for Gilbert’s first school in 1913.
- J Irvin Burk was also well known as a teacher, lawyer, and Arizona State Legislator (1921-22, 1937-38).
- Charley Hoffman: The only mention we can find of his name anywhere, other than the famous golfer obviously not him, is in a newspaper article listing the automobile purchases from Overland Automobiles in Tempe on July 14, 1913 edition of the Arizona Republican. The time frame and area seem to fit. That is all we know.
- Abe Cosby was made his money in real estate sale and development and served as a judge for the town of Gilbert during the 1920s
- F. D Rowell was a veterinarian during his time in Gilbert Arizona and was well known for planting a large pecan grove on the north side of Eliot along the Consolidated Canal.
From the 1920 incorporation through to 1970, Gilbert Arizona had only grown to around 2000 residents and was still a quite small town. Within the next 50 years, the town of Gilbert would explode in population to an estimated 250,000 residents. In 2012 Gilbert was rated the 33rd Best Places to live in the United States by CNN Money Magazine.
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