Lake Havasu City History

The History of Lake Havasu City
and the London Bridge

By Bobbi A. J. Holmes

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McCulloch and Havasu

       Lake Havasu, named for the Mohave word “Havasu”, which means “blue water”, sparked the imagination of McCulloch, who purchased 3,500 acres of lakeside property along Pittsburgh Point, the peninsula that eventually would be transformed into “the island”. The property had originally been purchased from the Santa Fe Railroad, by World War II veterans.
       In 1963, on the courthouse steps of Kingman, Arizona,  McCulloch purchased a 26 square mile parcel of barren desert, that would become the site for Lake Havasu City.  At the time, it was the largest single tract of state land ever sold in Arizona, and the cost per acre was under $75.
       McCulloch Properties, Inc., a subsidiary of McCulloch Oil, was the division that developed Lake Havasu City. One of the first steps was to purchase Holly Development, in 1964, to utilize their licensed real estate force.
       McCulloch had purchased 11 Lockheed Electras, and formed McCulloch International Airlines, to fly in prospective buyers from all over the country. Splashy magazine ads enticed snow-weary would be customers to take a free flight to Paradise.  When they arrived, they were greeted by one of the Holly salesmen, who taxied them around in the trademark white Jeep.  In all, there were approximately 40 identical vehicles in the fleet, said to be the largest contingent of white Jeeps in the world.
       Lake Havasu Hotel was built to accommodate the prospective buyers, during their stay. Located on McCulloch Boulevard, the only paved street in the beginning, the hotel was an oasis, offering a spectacular view of the lake. Surrounded by lush greenery, a dramatic waterfall fell from its roof.  One entrance to the hotel sported an impressive line of towering palm trees, and it was the site for the local high school’s first Junior Senior Prom, in 1969. The hotel was leveled in 1988, and today it is the site for Lake Havasu City’s Civic Center.

McCulloch Purchases the London Bridge

       To spur the growth of the infant city, in 1964 McCulloch opened a chainsaw manufacturing plant in the new community. Within two years, there were three manufacturing plants, with some 400 employees.
      Yet, it was the purchase of the London Bridge in 1968 that gave worldwide exposure to the development. McCulloch was searching for a unique attraction for his city, which eventually took him to London.  

Historic London Bridge

       For over 2000 years, a bridge spanned the River Thames, beginning with the first recorded mention of a pontoon bridge in the first century. During King Edgar’s reign (between 959-975 AD) another bridge was mentioned. That bridge eventually fell around 1014 AD, and may have inspired the familiar nursery rhyme.
       According to legend, Danish pirates attacked London, and seized the bridge, hurling spears and rocks to those below.  Viking chieftain Olaf Haralsen came to the locals’ aid when he and his men rowed up to the bridge’s pilings with their covered long-ships, fastened ropes to the bridge and literally pulled down the structure by the Vikings rowing furiously, thus tossing the Dane’s into the river.
       The first stone bridge was built on the site in 1176, designed by Peter Colechurch. This bridge took 33 years to construct and lasted for 600 years. Some visitors to the London Bridge in Arizona expect to see Colehurch’s bridge, which has been depicted in various mediums.  Over the years, houses and shops were built on the bridge, along with a drawbridge and waterwheels to help pump water into the city.
       Changes over time, along with fires and other disasters, altered the 600 year-old structure, and eventually it was replaced with another London Bridge, in 1831.  That bridge, designed by John Rennie, would eventually move 7,000 miles, some 140 years later.

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