Gilbert, Arizona

plan was that in addition to the Town of Gilbert, there would be a trade area around Higley and perhaps Norton’s Corner. Norton’s Corner was located at the northwest corner of Williams Field Road and Gilbert Road. It was a major watering hole for the drinking man and woman. Below is a last look at a growing cotton field, a farm product that is now being replaced by the growth of homes.

As we move on to the residential growth of Gilbert, remember that for decades the land mainly grew alfalfa and cotton. The growth has been greatly enhanced because of Route 60, the freeway from Phoenix to the east valley. Interestingly, in 1975 the Gilbert Town Council predicted that Gilbert would contain eighty thousand people by 2020. The freeway heading east toward Mesa and Gilbert was not given a lot of consideration with regard to how it would impact new growth. The general

k Cotton field

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