1971 Map of Chandler

About this map

Chandler and Gilbert are presented in this orthophotomosaic just as the Salt River Valley was undergoing a massive shift from an agrarian patchwork into a suburban landscape. The image, captured from 1971 aerial photography, reveals the rigid geometric precision of the irrigation network that fueled the region's growth. The Consolidated East Branch Canal and the Eastern Canal are clearly visible, slicing through the desert to sustain hundreds of individual agricultural plots. This specific survey provides a rare visual record of the area before the intense residential infill of the late 20th century, showing how the early footprints of these desert communities were still defined by the proximity of water and the grid of established section lines.