Chandler Information

Chandler was founded by Dr. Alexander J. Chandler, a veterinary surgeon who bought 80 acres of land in the Salt River Valley in 1891 and created a series of canals. By 1900 his ranch covered 18,000 acres; in 1912, Chandler sold $50,000 worth of land to 300 speculators and the city was born. In the beginning, Chandler's chief industry was agriculture; alfalfa, cotton and grain were common crops. Today agriculture, while still in the picture, takes a back seat to manufacturing and electronics.

A return to the good old days of the West takes place at Rawhide Western Town & Steakhouse at Wild Horse Pass for 4 days in March during the US West National Festival of the West. Western music; a Western film festival; a cowboy trade show, featuring everything from horse gear to art to furniture; rodeo and shooting competitions; cowboy poetry; a mountain man encampment; a chuckwagon cook-off; special children's activities; and period costumes recall the glory days of early Western settlement.