Pecos Road
Pecos Street, in Chandler, runs east to west from Price Street to Gilbert Street. It is one mile north of Germann Street, and one mile south of Chandler Boulevard. Pecos Street gets its name from the Pecos Valley Milling Company. Roy Lockhead and Hal Bogle owned the company and co-managed it. The milling company was located at 300 E. Pecos, on the north side of the street, east of the railroad tracks between Arizona Avenue and McQueen Road. It was purchased by the Bogle family from the Lockhead family after Roy died, and co-managed by Jackson Bogle and his brother Pete. In 1947 Jackson Bogle moved the companies office to 300 East Pecos, where he had room to install scales. The building, scales and a few sections of fence, remain today and is the site of Oldcastle Precast Communications.
The Lockhead Family
Roy Lockhead, manager and co-owner of the Pecos Valley Alfalfa Milling Company, grew up in Terrel, Texas. He worked with his father in flour milling and as a salesman for his father’s wheat milling company. Roy’s family moved to Haggerton New Mexico in his early 1920’s because his mother was ill. Odessa White grew up in Greenville, Texas, but met Roy in New Mexico. She was a teacher when they met and their son Jim was born in 1925, in Dallas, Texas. Roy and Odessa lived in Haggeton New Mexico until Jim was 10, and then they moved to Phoenix. They were permanently settled in Phoenix but traveled back and forth to New Mexico for business.
Roy was also in the milling business, and owned several milling plants in New Mexico, Texas, and Chandler, Arizona. In the plant, hay was ground up into flour-like consistency, and sold to companies that made mixed feed, such as horse feed. Initially these plants were located in areas where they could take advantage of sunshine to dry the hay. Chandler had plenty sunshine and was nice and close to the big town of Phoenix.
The mill, which was located east of the railroad tracks on Pecos Road, was named Pecos Valley Alfalfa Milling Company and Pecos Road was named after the mill. The main office was in New Mexico for a long time, however in 1935, Roy moved it to Chandler.
He also built a feedlot at this location. The feedlot was used to slow feed calves brought in by railroad before sale to slaughterhouses. The depression didn’t affect the milling business as much as others, due to its’ nature. The Lockheads owned the business from around 1912 until 1942 or so (30 years). Roy died, December 9, 1941 and shortly afterward, Odessa sold the company to the Bogle family; she didn’t want to run the milling company. Odessa then purchased a house, now located at 300 South Chandler Village Drive. She wanted to invest in farms, and purchased land in Missouri and New Mexico, but passed away in 1943.
The family sold the house to the Price family in 1950. Jackson Bogle was a trustee of Odessa Lockhead’s estate. He was worried about the salt deposits building up from the water in the irrigation well. Mr. Bogle met with Mr. Price and discussed selling the land to him. Mr. Price made a good offer. Jim, the Lockhead’s, son was not that involved with the sale, but when Jackson Bogle asked for his permission to sell, he accepted. Jim thinks that they might have sold the land for $600 an acre. Currently, the house sits across from to the Chandler Mall, and was donated to the city by the Price family in 2001. Efforts are under way to restore it and make it into a cultural and visitors center.
The Bogle Family
Although Hal Bogle had visited the Chandler area and purchased property in the 1930’s, it was not until 1946 when Jackson Bogle brought his wife here, that a permanent Bogle residence was established in Chandler.
In 1918 Hal Bogle, suffering from tuberculosis, left Tennessee for a healthier climate. He settled near Roswell New Mexico and began acquiring land and building a ranching empire. He subsequently purchased large tracts of land in several western states. Chandler, Arizona was one of these areas and this began the Chandler chapter of the Bogle family history.
In 1921, Jackson Bogle was born. He grew up in Dexter, New Mexico and was educated there as well. In 1939 he went to Iowa State College, was commissioned a Lieutenant in the U.S. Army in his junior year, and married Barbara Caine in 1942. Jackson served in a pack field artillery unit in China during World War II. Jackson Bogle remained in the National Guard and rose to the top position, Adjutant General. Mr. Bogle was passionate about the Guard and its role in national defense. He worked tirelessly to ensure that the organization remained well trained, equipped and ready to serve should the need arise. Jackson also was involved in the development of Chandler not just economically but also as a community. Jackson Bogle passed away in 2005.
Barbara Caine, whom Jackson met and married, was a native of Iowa and a student at Iowa State College. Mrs. Bogle, after moving to Chandler with her husband in 1946, helped to shape Chandler as it grew from a small farming town to the robust community we know today. While raising her family and supporting Jackson in his business ventures, she became active in many community service programs. She joined the Chandler Service Club, the Philanthropic Educational Organization, Chandler Museum, helped with Girl Scout summer programs, served on the Hospital Board, and the behavioral health board in Mesa. She also helped Jackson, by participating in state and national conventions, as he remained active in the National Guard.
The Bogle and Lockhead families both made great contributions to the growing community. They have seen their town grow from a small farming community, where they knew almost everyone, to the sprawling city we know today.
By Gunner Hagler & Wanda Hibshman