A Brief History of Gilbert, AZ

In 1902, the Arizona Eastern Railway asked for donations in order to establish a rail line between Phoenix and Florence. A rail siding was established on property that was owned by William "Bobby" Gilbert. The siding, and the town that began to grow around it, was eventually named Gilbert. Gilbert was a wonderful farming community that was fueled by the construction of the Roosevelt Dam and the Eastern and Consolidated Canals in 1911.