During this period, agriculture was Chandler’s main industry. Surrounding the town were vineyards,  dairies, farms, alfalfa and cotton fields, orchards and even J.M. Herman’s 640 bee hives.   Chandler’s residents worked hard, but the town was not without its fun. The first pool opened in 1915. For $1 a month or $5 for the whole season, some residents had unlimited access to the pool.  Others, mostly people who lived in rural areas, swam in the canals during the summer.

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Chandler's first swimming pool

Chandler’s first baseball team formed in 1912; fifteen men signed up for the team, which voted on a white uniform with black trimmings.  There were dinner dances at the San Marcos, vaudeville shows, plays, fairs, and Chandler’s first movie theater, built by William Menhennett, opened in March of 1917. Pastime Pool Hall, phone number 37, offered billiards, cigars, candy and soft drinks of all kinds.

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Sinks Pool Hall

When the United States entered World War I in 1917, many of Chandler’s sons joined the military. On April 6, 1917, the Chandler Arizonan reported that men could enlist at the post office, and the yearly salary for those in the armed forces was $1,100 to $1,700. Due to high demand, many farmers abandoned their previous crops and turned to cotton. Cotton became a main crop among Chandler farmers, as it was perfectly suited to the climate. Contractors began bringing workers to the Chandler area, where they were growing long–staple cotton. In 1917, the Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company leased 8,000 acres south of Chandler to grow Pima cotton for tire manufacturing. The Goodyear farming operation included cotton fields from Price and Queen Creek roads to the Southern Pacific Railroad and Hunt Highway. The town of Goodyear included small houses, a mess hall and offices. Two years later, a church, school, hospital and other civic buildings would be added to the town.