Gilbert, Arizona

Fieldwork was the usual occupation of our early settlers, and everyone took their turn at what had to be done. Those were the days of hard work from sunup until sundown. Chores had to be done, and it didn’t matter if you were a girl or a boy— you took your turn and saw that all the labor was done each day. The picture on the opposite page shows a typical farm. Note the water tank that was so necessary for survival in the desert. Every home had its own well to provide water for humans and animals. Irrigation water for the fields came later by ditch and lateral, as canals snaked their way through the Gilbert area. A threshing machine that was operating in 1919 was a modern convenience that sped up the processing of wheat for the local farmers.

k Fieldwork

k Early transportation

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