Chandler Improvement Co., 1930s
The Chandler Improvement Company was just one of several companies Dr. Chandler and his business partners used to develop the Chandler region
Dr. Chandler was a business man who invested in a multitude of companies and businesses around the city. The Chandler Improvement Company ultimately became the umbrella organization for all of Dr. Chandler’s business interests. These companies include the Consolidated Canal Company, Chandler Ranch, Mesa Improvement Company, San Marcos Hotel Company, the Chandler Land and Securities Company, the Bank of Chandler, the San Marcos Fairways, and the Chandler Heights Citrus Inc.
When Dr. Chandler first arrived in the Phoenix Valley, he, along with business partners D.M. Ferry and C.C. Bowen, formed the Consolidated Canal Company to improve the irrigation system that served the entire south side of the Valley. Chandler Ranch began as lands for Ferry and Bowen to experiment with different agricultural products and produce seeds for the Ferry Seed Company. As the 18,000 acres of Chandler Ranch became more valuable as real estate, Dr. Chandler created the Mesa Improvement Company to sell the ranch lands as home sites and farmsteads. Once it became clear that they would be founding a new town called Chandler, the company’s name was changed to the Chandler Improvement Company.Â
The San Marcos Hotel Company operated the Hotel. Dr. Chandler and other business associates opened the Bank of Chandler to assist financial transactions in the fledgling community. The Chandler Land and Securities Company managed the real estate transactions for Dr. Chandler. The San Marcos Fairways was the incorporation of the golf course associated with the San Marcos Hotel, along with a subdivision of estate homes along the golf course. The Chandler Heights Citrus Inc. was started to develop a large citrus growing region to the south of Chandler.