1952 Map of Chandler

About this map

The agricultural irrigation network of the Salt River Valley defines the landscape in this mid-century survey, where the Western Canal, Southern Canal, and Consolidated Canal carve through the desert to support the growing communities of Chandler and Gilbert. The area transitions from the established agricultural operations of the Bell Ranch and Water Users Camp 10 toward post-war suburban development, evidenced by the emerging clusters of mobile homes and the Drive-in Theater near the town center. Local industry is anchored by the Southern Pacific rail line and prominent Grain Elevators, reflecting the region's enduring reliance on crop production even as the Chandler Municipal Airport and San Marcos Golf Course signal a diversifying economy. Smaller settlements like Falfa, Sonora Town, and Nortons Corner provide critical markers for genealogists tracing family locations in this rapidly evolving part of Maricopa County.