Gila Bend is the perfect stop over city when traveling between Phoenix and Rocky Point, Mexico, or San Diego. It is a small agricultural town that continues to show its love of the land. Today Gila Bend's population is near 2,000. It sits at an elevation of 735 feet. The sunny desert climate has warm summers and great climate in the winter, where the low rarely reaches 36 degrees. Gila bend is a town of farming and ranching that is still growing today.
One terrific attraction you wont want to miss is the Gila Bend museum. The Gila Bend museum is a great place to learn about the town's past. The museum includes artifacts found from earlier civilizations that once lived along the Gila River.
HISTORY
The Hohokam Indians discoverd the fertile banks along the Gila River were ideal for growing crops. The Indian village lived here centuries before Father Francisco Eusebio Kino rode through. Father Kino visited in 1699 and helped establish the first farm. Then, in 1774, Spanish Captain Juan Bautista de Anza and Father Francisco Tomas Garces passed by and discovered the Rancheria. The rancheria was using the water from the Gila River to sustain the crops. The two travelers named the place Pueblo de los Santos San Simon y Judas. It soon became a popular place for those passing through.
In 1858, Gila Bend became a stop along the overland stage route. During the 18th century, the Gila Trail became the major throughfare in Arizona. Many famous individuals passed through town such as Kit Carson, General Stephen W. Kearny and Captain Philip St. George Cooke.
However, agriculture was always the town's mainstay. Cotton, alfalfa and grain are the most common crops grown. The town was incorporated in 1962. Today, both agriculture and traveling tourists make Gila Bend a busy town. Many travelers heading to Rocky Point or San Diego from Phoenix use Gila Bend as the place to take a breather.
