Gilbert, Arizona

track called Gilbert. The events of history have created Gilbert. It is exciting to know that the name “Gilbert” has been attached to our com munity for over a century now. The following pictures are of other homes and buildings that existed prior to Gilbert’s incorporation. The home below was typical of homes in 1911, as it had a large porch where the residents and friends could visit without being in the direct beams of the sun. The business on the right was in downtown Gilbert in 1915. You can see the Eating and Drinking sign on the right side of the picture. We don’t know if the “drinking” was beer, hard liquor, iced tea, water, or milk.

The events of history often cause the naming of roads and communities. In our case, Gilbert was named for the location. The railroad was going through the area, and the land just happened to be owned by Mr. Gilbert. A community is what it becomes because of the good people that inhabit the area. The pioneers of our community shared their talents, guiding our town into good works by developing edu cation, roads, water systems, sewer systems, electrical systems, phone systems, and all the other blessings of modern life. All of these things were not in place when Bobby Gilbert homesteaded his land. Bobby Gilbert is the father of our town, even though I am sure he had no idea what would come of the siding

k Front porch scene at a home in Gilbert in 1911. The bed on the porch shows how people slept outside to stay cool in the summer.

2 k Dixie Club in 1915: “Eating and Drinking”