In 1902 a rail line was established between Phoenix and Florence, Arizona. The land that the rail siding was established on belonged to William "Bobby" Gilbert. This land eventually became known as Gilbert, Arizona. Gilbert was primarily a farming community and was known as the "Hay Capital of the World" until the late 1920's. The population in 1970 was 1,971 and the Council of Gilbert realized that eventually the town would grow and develop much like Tempe, Mesa, and Chandler had. Gilbert has grown greatly from 1980 to present and is almost unparalleled by most communities in the United States. Gilbert's population has grown from 5,717 in 1980 to approx. 84,000 in 1998. During the year 2000 Gilbert has grown to over 100,000 residents.
