In 1891, Dr. Alexander John Chandler, the first veterinary surgeon for the territory of Arizona, bought 80 acres of land from the federal government south of Mesa in the Salt River Valley. It was May 17, 1912, Dr. Chandler opened the town site office and the town of Chandler was born. The town then consisted of three wooden shacks limited to the town site office, a dining hall and the Morrison Grocery. Dr. Chandler had a plan that was well ahead of his time. He envisioned a landscaped central park that would be surrounded by businesses.

The walkways in front of the buildings would be covered by a trellis-like roof, supported by colonnades. One year after the first land sale, Chandler was beginning to look like an established town. Businesses had been built along the side of the park, including the Bank of Chandler and the Eastern Railroad depot.

During World War II, Chandler's population doubled and reached 3,800 by 1950. On May 24, 1954, the status of Chandler was upgraded from town to City. In recent years, Chandler's borders have been expanded and the population has boomed. Chandler has grown from 30,000 in 1980 to nearly 220,000 today. The economic base of Chandler has been diversified. While agriculture is still somewhat of a vital element, Chandler now enjoys a strong base in manufacturing and electronics.

The downtown storefronts have been restored to a modern yet original turn-of-the-century look, and the plaza has been redesigned and named after the City's founder. The Center for the Arts, new parks, restaurants and retail centers mark an exciting future for the City.
Family festivals such as the Ostrich Festival, and a host of other annual events, make Chandler a popular draw for travelers from all across the country.

As for the citizens of Chandler, they enjoy a quality of life unsurpassed in the Valley. It certainly appears that Dr. Chandler knew what he was doing the day he envisioned this dream

CHANDLER NEIGHBORHOOD INFORMATION

CHANDLER CHAMBER OF COMMERCE
 

MARICOPA COUNTY PARKS