Chandler’s history began in 1887, when Dr. Alexander John Chandler arrived in Prescott, the capital of the Arizona Territory. Dr. Chandler was the first veterinary surgeon appointed to the region. Unfortunately, the entire Southwest was experiencing a severe drought, and Dr. Chandler, unable to help the area’s cattle herds, resigned his post and made plans to move on to California. However, as he arrived in the small frontier town of Phoenix, a deluge of rain began to fall that halted all travel. Dr. Chandler watched from his hotel room as the desert blossomed into a fantastic array of renewed life. The doctor, moved by what he saw and the possibilities it foretold, reconsidered his resignation and canceled his departure.

Seeing the great changes that the rain brought to the parched soil, Dr. Chandler began to learn about irrigation methods. Returning with the financial backing of two Detroit friends, Dr. Chandler formed the Consolidated Canal Company. When the Granite Reef Dam to the southeast of Phoenix was completed in 1908, water from the Salt River was available for all canals to the south. Thousands of acres were put under cultivation, but there was still not enough water to keep the land from remaining dry.

In 1911, the Roosevelt Dam was completed, but each landowner was restricted to irrigating only 160 acres. Dr. Chandler was forced to subdivide his nearly 18,000-acre ranch and he began to advertise and market his land to draw settlers to the area. He wisely hired a city planner and an architect to design a planned community with spacious lots, wide boulevards, and a town green unique to the Southwest.

The town of Chandler was formed in 1912. Growth was slow at first, but Dr. Chandler looked toward the future, knowing that the town needed to become a destination in order to attract tourists who might later become residents. So, in the middle of an alfalfa field, construction started on the San Marcos Hotel, the area’s first luxury resort. Upon its completion, wealthy guests from around the country flocked to the small town just south of Phoenix, looking for a winter getaway. The City of Chandler had arrived!

The Chandler Historical Museum brings the story of Chandler and Arizona’s history to life with artifacts of prehistoric Southwestern Indians, a replica of a tent house used by early settlers, a scale model of Chandler’s downtown circa 1920, and a reconstructed room of the historic San Marcos Hotel. Visitors will also learn about the region’s rich history of cotton farming, cattle, horses, and ostrich ranching.

The Arizona Railway Museum was founded in 1983 by an enthusiastic group of volunteers to educate and preserve the history of railways. The museum is a community effort supported by the City of Chandler. A retired steam locomotive and small recreation building on the site started the museum. The building was remodeled to resemble an early Southwestern railway depot, with display areas and a workshop. The museum railcar collection includes restored passenger cars, steam locomotives, refrigerator cars, and a boxcar. The museum’s artifact collection includes lanterns, china, pictures and tools. The museum is working actively to preserve what remains of Arizona’s railway history.

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