Gilbert, Arizona

Bill Anderson began using the new railroad in 1906 to visit his sweetheart, Margaret Nelson, in Winkleman. He would catch the line at the Gilbert Depot, returning later from Winkleman. They were married in the Adams Hotel in Phoenix, Arizona in 1909. In later years, Bill and Margaret shipped many head of cattle from the Gilbert stockyard alongside the loading track. Mr. and Mrs. T. J. Fincher and their infant son, Bruce, came to Gilbert in 1908. The train brought all of their household goods to the Gilbert depot. Mr. Fincher said all that then existed of Gilbert was the depot. All around it were alfalfa fields in every direction you looked. As the farming grew in Gilbert, businesses began to be established. Cattle and sheep were shipped from the railroad corral. Passengers and cargo were also using the line by 1904, before the depot was built. In 1907, the Murphy venture sold out to the Southern Pacific Railroad. Even though the Southern Pacific owned the railroad, for many years it was called the Arizona Eastern Railroad.

Florence was a major center in 1903, but Globe was also a rich mining community. Many of the early users of the Phoenix and Eastern Railroad were on their way to Globe from Phoenix. From newspaper articles, it seems the traveler would ride the train from Phoenix to Kelvin in one day and stay at a hotel overnight. The next day, the stage would take the traveler from Kelvin on to Globe.

k In 1904, the Arizona Republican ran this railroad advertisement. It is hard to imagine that you didn’t get dust on your clothes on any stagecoach.

k Passengers at depot

k Waiting at depot for train

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