Gilbert, Arizona

back to 1917 and through the 1920s, but even in the 1940s and 1950s there was a lot of hay shipped from Gilbert. It was during World War I (1917–18) that the war effort was greatly assisted by Gilbert farmers and their hay shipments. In those days we still had a cavalry using horses and mules that had to be fed. Gilbert acquired the title “Hay Shipping Capital of the World” during this period of time. My 1944 fourth-grade geography book referred to Gilbert by that title. There was also a picture of trucks hauling hay to be loaded in boxcars by our depot.

The early businesses were grocery stores, blacksmith shops, a tin shop, a creamery, and the Bank of Gilbert. As a young boy I remem ber visiting with Robert Gamble, who told me about how busy the depot had been. Mr. Gamble married Emily Brass of one of the pioneer families in 1925. He said there was incredible traffic by hay haulers bringing their alfalfa hay to be shipped in the boxcars, which were loaded on the spur track east and west of the depot. He said some of the people would load small wagons as high as twenty feet and tie it down so they could bring it into town and ship it from Gilbert. I believe he was referring

k Loading hay. Alfalfa hay was the major shipment from Gilbert.

In the early years of Gilbert, Main Street looked pretty bleak. Main Street is, of course, Gilbert Road, as it was initially called after the railroad spur of the same name. We have this picture that depicts those days.

K Main Street, Gilbert, Arizona

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