Farms: Gilbert Walking Tour

Trekking The National Parks www.trektheparks.com trektheparks@gmail.com Facebook.com/trektheparks A walking tour of historical old town in Gilbert, AZ. The Gilbert Heritage District History walk takes you back in time to the early 1900's when Gilbert was known as the "Hay Shipping Capital' of the world. The streets of this Town are filled with memories of years gone by, but several of the original buildings still remain. The first settlers arrived in Gilbert in 1891. They came from other parts of Arizona, different states, and even other nations to farm the area's rich soil. Some of these farms were given away free if the family stayed for at least w5 years and made improvements to the land.Others purchased their land from the government for as little as $1.25 an acre. The Arizona and Eastern Railroad purchased land from William "Bobby" Gilbert and constructed a train depot in 1905, and the town grew up around the depot. Around 1910, there were no paved streets, no electricity, no telephones, and no indoor running water or toilets. Most people built sleeping porches onto their homes because there were no cooling devices. 1920 saw several major changes. People began getting telephones and automobiles, and more homes were built. Businesses grew in size and number. With a population of about 500 within the town limits of one square mile, the town chose to incorporate and added a water system and electricity. Mr. E. R. Wilbur was elected to be the first town mayor during these busy times. Gilbert stayed the same small farming community until the mid 1970's when the Mayor and Town Council annexed 53 square miles. In 1970 the population was 1,971, and in 1980 it was over 5,700. In 2010 Gilbert had over 206,000 residents and is projecting over 305,000 by 2030. In 2012, the last square mile of farmland was sold to a home developer. While the agricultural roots of Gilbert have come to an end, the rich history of this community remains embedded deeply into the soil.