By Alison Steinbach | The Republic
In 100 years, the hay-shipping capital of the world grew into the largest town in America.
A 500-person rural outcrop southeast of Phoenix was incorporated as an Arizona town named Gilbert in July 1920.
Today, Gilbert is a growing suburb with more than 250,000 residents. Its population has more than doubled since 2000, and it’s officially the most populous “town” in the country, according to data from the US Census Bureau.