Dr. Alexander “A.J.” Chandler founded the city of Chandler in 1912. This Canadian veterinarian came to Arizona in 1887, and soon amassed 18,000 acres of land that became his Chandler Ranch. Homesteaders bought parcels of his ranch, and Dr. Chandler established a canal company to bring irrigation to the area. He soon envisioned a town formed under the “City Beautiful” movement, which emphasized the placement of parks surrounded by monumental public buildings. For his new town, Dr. Chandler turned to architects from Southern California. They designed a town with a park in the midst of a business plaza, accented by fountains, landscaped boulevards, footbridges across the Commonwealth Canal, and imported exotic trees.


The town site opened on May 17, 1912, three months after Arizona became a state. Dr. Chandler sold $50,000 worth of property to investors on the first day! The showpiece of Dr. Chandler’s “City Beautiful” was the magnificent Hotel San Marcos. Chandler envisioned a great desert winter resort, and he hired California architect Arthur Burnett Benton to design the Mission Revival hotel. The San Marcos opened in 1913. Between 1912 and 1924, new businesses sprang up along today’s downtown square. Each business used white-glazed bricks from the local brick factory, some of which you can still see today along west Boston Street. By the mid 1920s, stores selling goods such as clothing, groceries, hardware, pharmaceuticals, and other items were flourishing. In fact, the well-known Bashas’ grocery company had their start here along east Boston Street in 1920. More essential services sprang up, like banks and a theatre.


The families who pioneered this area have left behind their legacy in the structures they built and maintained, which continue to be treasured by residents of Chandler today. The enterprising spirit that built and grew the City of Chandler is very much alive around the old city square and A.J. Chandler Park. Though the occupants have changed many times over the decades and the buildings themselves have undergone renovation and change, downtown Chandler will always be the heart of the town, as it was in the early 20th century when it was founded.

Courtesy of the Chandler Public History Program