HD SOUTH: ART Scavenger Hunt KEY This scavenger hunt involves the many and fun art features in the Heritage District of Gilbert. Hint: Check out the articles detailing the aesthetic elements in HD South’s blog section. Find 15 of these aesthetic elements (total...
Art Tour Stop 28: HD South Elaine Kessler We are at the final stop on our Art Tour through the Heritage District. We have explored 27 distinct spots in downtown Gilbert that include water features, concrete etchings, murals, lights, and artistic furniture. In addition...
Art Tour Stops 26 + 27: Theatre and Art Elaine Kessler Stops 26 and 27 on this Art Tour are two incredible facilities that offer the community beautifully enriching experiences. Hale Theatre Arizona offers musicals and plays and performance art classes. Art Intersection offers...
Art Tour Stop 25: Roadside Architecture Elaine Kessler “Roadside architecture consists of structures built to serve the motoring public. Generally associated with twentieth-century road development, the main types of roadscape resources are restaurants, automobile showrooms, recreation and amusement facilities, stores, specialized buildings and artifacts,...
Art Tour Stops 22-24: Lighting and Etchings Elaine Kessler As a photographer, lighting and lines are everything. One might think that when the sun goes down, it is challenging to comprehend the power of great lighting. However, the magic of the art in the...
Art in the Heritage District – Murals: Stop 20-21 Elaine Kessler As we wrap up this part of the “tour” on murals, keep in mind the long-lasting effects of art in communities. Art reflects the people and their past and can be a beacon...
Art in the Heritage District – Murals: Stop 18-19 Elaine Kessler Murals are a compelling way to commemorate space, place, and time in a unique and far–reaching way. Making our way south on Gilbert Road, you’ll find this mural on the south facing wall...
Art in the Heritage District – Murals: Stop 17 Elaine Kessler Murals are an engaging and vivid way to spark curiosity about a community’s priorities and its interests. They can inspire people to learn more about the community and its leaders. They can also...
Art in the Heritage District – Murals: Stops 7 – 16 Elaine Kessler There are at least 13 murals in Downtown Gilbert and the number appears to be growing. Some of the murals depict historical scenes, other are a bit more contemporary. We will...
Art in the Heritage District – Stop 5 +6: Reservoir Gorge and Delivery Falls Elaine Kessler The middle water feature by Heritage Market Place is called Reservoir Gorge* and is intended to represent all the reservoirs in Arizona. The boulders here are salvaged from...
Art in the Heritage District – Stop 4: Lateral Deluge Elaine Kessler In the last article, we reviewed the history of how water came to be delivered to Gilbert. The next few articles will give an insider’s perspective to how that history comes to...
Art in the Heritage District – Stop 3: Western Powerline Trail Elaine Kessler Many different water elements dot the Downtown Gilbert landscape. There are several unique reminders of the significance of water that contribute to a thriving life in the desert. The next...
Art in the Heritage District: Water Focus Elaine Kessler Before we continue the tour, it is important to understand the history of water delivery and usage in Gilbert. With the help and expertise of Annikki Chamberlain, a former Town of Gilbert Water Conservation...
HD South for K-12 Elaine Kessler The HD South building is the original Gilbert Elementary School, built in 1913, and is the oldest building still standing in Gilbert. HD South is a delightful place to explore and discover the Gilbert community for K-12 teachers...
Art in the Heritage District – Stop 2: Benches By Elaine Kessler Seattle has pigs, Norfolk has mermaids, neighboring Chandler has ostriches, and Gilbert has begun their collection of artfully decorated illuminated benches. Why have a symbol for a community? Cathy Coleman, president...
Memorial Day By Elaine Kessler There are many reasons people join the military. My father joined the Air Force for job training and the educational opportunity. My brother joined the US Marine Corps for adventure, service, and travel. I was an Army cadet...
HD South for Higher Education Elaine Kessler Even though the HD South building is the original Gilbert Elementary School, built in 1913, it is a treasure trove of discoveries for today’s higher education faculty and their students. As the only building in Gilbert...
Art in the Heritage District – Stop 1: The Water Tower 45 W Page Avenue Gilbert, AZ 85296 Elaine Kessler “Thousands have lived without love, not one without water.” W.H. Auden Dale Hallock, former Gilbert mayor, says “It is a giant symbol of old...
Art in the Heritage District Elaine Kessler Program Assistant “Art changes people and people change the world.” John Butler Art is not explicit in Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs and if it can be interpreted, it would likely be found at the top,...
The 6 C’s of Gilbert’s Innovation Elaine Kessler Program Assistant At the time of this article, we are in the midst of a global pandemic. Schools and companies have been shuttered to slow the spread of COVID-19. But according to Larry Clark of the...
Every Arizona grade school student learns about Arizona’s 5 C’s: Copper, Cotton, Climate, Cattle and Citrus. Students learn that all the C’s were crucial to Arizona’s economy. Many of the jobs in Arizona were influenced directly, i.e., copper miner, farmer, but many more occupations...
The longest-running, daily live kid’s show in television history, “The Wallace & Ladmo Show” spanned 36 years. Guest performers included; Wayne Newton, Dan Horn, Alice Cooper, and Steven Spielberg. The foundation seeks to preserve, nurture and continue the Wallace & Ladmo legacy of encouraging...
The Gilbert Historical Society was incorporated in 1979 and the museum opened to the public in 1982. Over the past 35 years, we have had thousands of visitors to the museum.
In 1969, the Gilbert Enterprise was replaced with a new name, Gilbert Roundup, by Tom Arnett as the owner and publisher.
This octagonal building was part of the cotton gin on the south side of the railroad tracks and about a quarter-mile west of Gilbert’s Main Street.
The Gilbert Depot was the center of our universe as we grew up in Gilbert in the 1940’s.
Many of you have heard of the Geneva Clay award that is given out by the Chamber of Commerce every year as part of their Community Excellence awards.
This picture of the Blakely Automotive building, the Serrano Popular Store and the Page Market on the left, is shown with the flood of 1938 in the foreground.
In this photograph of the old Gilbert Town Hall, you can see the modernization of our administration building in 1982.
Prior to the Gilbert Days Parade in 1963, Geneva Clay, our parade manager, had invited Governor Paul Fannin to be the Grand Marshall. Governor Fannin had accepted and was planning to honor Gilbert with his presence and lead the Gilbert Day Parade.
We read in our archives about the impact Abe Cosby had on early Gilbert. Professionally he was as a real estate and development man.
In 1917, a group of businessmen created the Bank of Gilbert and then built a large structure at the southeast corner of Page Ave. and Main Street for the bank.