A Brief History of Chandler, Arizona

In 1891, Dr. Alexander John Chandler bought 80 acres of land from the federal government south of Mesa in the Salt River Valley. By the turn of the century, Dr. Chandler owned an 18,000 acre ranch, but each landowner was only aloud to obtain enough water to irrigate only 160 acres. After seeking the help of planners and architects, they subdivided his ranch and drew up a townsite map. Then he advertised nationally the sale of Chandler Ranch sites. The townsite office was opened by Dr. Chandler on May 17, 1912 - the same day that the Arizona Eastern Railroad brought 300 speculators who spent $50,000 for land. By 1920, Chandler had more than 1,000 residents, and on May 24, 1954, the status of Chandler was upgraded from town to City.